Power has been gradually restored in most parts of Bali following a major outage on Friday, officials reported, as efforts continue to fully resume services.
The outage, attributed to a disruption in subsea cables, affected several regions of the island from 4 p.m. local time (6 p.m. AEST), according to the state utility company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).
Bali’s airport was also impacted by the power loss, but flights were able to continue using backup generators. However, some departures were delayed. Local media reported confusion on Bali’s busiest highways during the Friday evening rush hour, as traffic lights were not functioning.
Social media images showed traffic congestion across the island and long lines at airport check-in counters. Additionally, many areas were left in darkness as residents waited for power to be restored.
PLN managed to restore electricity to most of the island a few hours after the outage. A spokesperson for President Prabowo Subianto, Prasetyo Hadi, confirmed that full power restoration was expected to be completed by the end of Friday night.
Efforts to prioritize power restoration focused on critical infrastructure such as government buildings, hospitals, airports, and hotels, Mr. Hadi explained.
The outage was caused by a disruption in the subsea cables that connect Bali’s electricity grid to Java, resulting in widespread blackouts across the island. Bali, which welcomed 6.3 million foreign visitors last year, remains Indonesia’s most popular tourist destination.
