What caused Sunday’s power outage across the country?

The entire country experienced a power outage on Sunday afternoon and electricity was momentarily restored in some areas and then lost again two more times before it was fully re-established.  The first outage occurred around two forty five in the afternoon and the fault, according to the Belize Electricity Limited, was a burnt cross arm on a one hundred and fifteen kilovolt transmission line near San Estevan Village in Orange Walk.  While the company was able to restore power supply to sections of Belmopan, San Ignacio, Belize City and Ladyville within an hour, just before four that evening the system collapsed a second time.  Dangriga, Independence, Punta Gorda and sections of San Ignacio, Ladyville and other sections of Belmopan were next to be reconnected and then shortly after five Orange Walk and Corozal came on stream.  Belize City and San Pedro followed but during the course of the repairs the system failed again.  In addition, workmen and equipment had to be dispatched to the Buena Vista Substation where a malfunction was noted.  After all the faults had been repaired and the problems fixed, the entire country was back on the national grid around eight fifteen.  B.E.L. says it continues to investigate the cause of the initial outage in San Estevan.