Dominican Republic faces national power cut following 'cascade of failures'

The Dominican Republic has experienced a nationwide power cut which government representatives said was connected to a breakdown in the electricity transmission system.

Around 1:23 PM local time, an malfunction at a substation triggered a countrywide disruption to power services, the government-operated power utility reported.

Authorities confirmed a detailed inquiry would be conducted to pinpoint the cause and that work were ongoing to quickly reestablish service.

This island country, which is residence to around 11 million residents, has been undergoing minor blackouts in the past few weeks.

Representatives at the national utility company reported electricity producing units in two significant power plants had shut down, triggering "a cascade of failures" in other parts of the network.

Dominican reporters reported the metro and aerial tram in the main city, Santo Domingo, had halted service and people had to be removed during the national blackout on the specific date.

Furthermore, reports indicated reports of confusing circumstances on the nation's highways. Social media users mentioned blackouts in various parts of the island, but energy and online services were operational in some places.

Last month, the powerful hurricane was linked for several casualties in the Caribbean, after the category five storm blasted through the territory.

The Caribbean nation is a important travel location. Once ruled by Spain, the Dominican Republic occupies the territory with the adjacent nation, a historically French-controlled area.