Senegal experienced a major power outage on Thursday, affecting the entire nation due to an issue at a power station in Dakar, the capital. Such widespread outages are rare in the country.
According to Marietou Seye, spokesperson for the national electricity company, Senelec, the disruption occurred around 1:00 PM in the Hann area of Dakar. The interconnected power grid was impacted, causing the nationwide blackout.
“This is the first time in years that we’ve had such a prolonged outage,” Seye remarked.
Oumar Diallo, Senelec’s distribution director, explained that power plants disconnected from the grid to prevent further damage after a severe short circuit led to an explosion in Hann.
By the evening, electricity had been restored in several parts of Dakar and other cities, Seye added.
Senegal’s energy sector has a history of challenges, with frequent power cuts being common in the past, particularly in 2010 and 2011. However, thanks to significant investments in energy infrastructure under former President Macky Sall, power outages have become less frequent in recent years.
