Spectacular Explosion at Electrical Substation Leaves Thousands Without Power in Puerto Rico

An explosion at an electrical substation in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on May 18 left over 12,000 people without power in the town and its surrounding areas.

According to local media, the explosion was caused by a short circuit in a 38,000-volt cable.

Fifty percent of customers had their service restored by Wednesday afternoon, LUMA Energy said in a statement. Estimated service restoration time for all affected areas is by Wednesday evening, they said.

Video filmed by Jonathan Lozada De Jesus shows nearly a minute of pops and sparks in the power line at the substation. Credit: Jonathan Lozada De Jesus via Storyful