Panama hit with nationwide blackout after explosion in La Chorrera, President Mulino confirms | VIDEOS

Panama witnessed a nationwide blackout following an explosion at one of the generators at the La Chorrera Thermoelectric Power Plant, reports claimed on Sunday. The explosion led to a fire inside the generator.

Panama President José Raúl Mulino confirmed the reports about the nationwide blackout, saying, “Energy Secretary Juan Urriola informed me that they are reactivating the national system. This outage, which has nothing to do with distribution, will gradually return to normal.”

He said the Director of @AsepPanama reported explosion at thermoelectric plant in La Chorrera. "A hot spring in Chorrera has exploded," the president said while posted a video of the incident.

An X user who posted images of the blackout claimed that firefighters were attempting to extinguish the fire.

Authorities reportedly stated that power should be at least partially restored in the coming hours.

What caused the explosion?

The explosion is believed to have been caused by a “technical fault” within the generator. Mulino said, “The Director of ETESA informs me that the damage was caused by a private power generator that triggered the system's protection.”

"Service will be restored little by little. Stay calm," the president assured.