Power Grid Collapse Leaves Puerto Rico In Dark On New Year’s Eve

Puerto Ricans were without electricity on New Year's Eve after a grid failure left nearly all of the island without power.

Around 87 per cent of clients were without power at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a statement from energy distribution company LUMA Energy. Puerto Rico has long dealt with chronic power outages as its infrastructure crumbles.

It will likely take 24 to 48 hours to turn the lights back on, LUMA said in a statement. It added later that power had been restored to some critical facilities, including Centro Medico and Municipal Hospital in San Juan.