Havana, Sept. 19 (SANA)Millions of Cubans were left without electricity after the country’s national power grid collapsed on Friday, triggering another major nationwide blackout amid chronic fuel shortages and deteriorating infrastructure.

Cuba’s Energy Ministry said the National Electric System suffered a “total disconnection,” while state-run utility Unión Eléctrica (UNE) began a gradual restoration process.

UNE attributed the collapse to failures in high-voltage transmission lines compounded by unstable weather conditions. By Saturday, power had been restored to nearly half of customers in Havana, with hospitals and other essential facilities given priority.

Fuel shortages deepen power crisis

Cuba has suffered repeated large-scale blackouts in 2026 as its ageing power plants struggle with fuel shortages and limited generating capacity. International reports differ on the exact number of nationwide collapses this year, with some counting at least six and others seven or eight.

The energy crisis has worsened since Washington tightened restrictions on fuel supplies to the island earlier this year. Havana says US sanctions and restrictions are a major cause of the shortages, while Washington has attributed Cuba’s economic and energy problems in part to the government’s economic management.

Long power cuts have disrupted water supplies, transportation, schools, hospitals and other essential services, adding to shortages of food and medicine.