A pair of power outages within 48 hours in the French Riviera has raised alarms among officials. The latest incident, which occurred in Nice, involved a fire at a local substation that resulted in approximately 45,000 homes losing power.
Second Power Outage in France Sparks Suspicions of Sabotage
Second Power Outage in France Sparks Suspicions of Sabotage
Authorities suspect foul play as Nice experiences significant power cut after fire at substation, following similar blackout in Cannes.
A fire engulfed the substation around 02:00 local time on Sunday morning, with authorities quickly deeming the incident a malicious act. This follows a massive blackout in Cannes, attributed to potential sabotage, just the previous day. In this incident, around 160,000 residences were affected during the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
Local law enforcement discovered “tyre tracks” and a broken door at the Nice substation, emphasizing the potential for criminal activity behind this fire. Notably impacted in Nice were the airport and tramway network, as well as nearby municipalities like Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Power was restored later in the morning.
Mayor Christian Estrosi expressed his outrage on social media, denouncing the intentional destruction. His deputy, Gaël Nofri, has indicated that the fire is likely a criminal act, mirroring patterns observed in the Cannes incident. Although no direct connection between the two cases has been established, a heightened security response has been announced around electrical sites in Nice.
Investigations are ongoing, with Nice prosecutor Damien Martinelli affirming that authorities aim to decode the motives and methods behind these disruptions. A probe into potential "organised arson" has also been initiated, underlining the seriousness of these recent events in France's scenic Riviera region.
Local law enforcement discovered “tyre tracks” and a broken door at the Nice substation, emphasizing the potential for criminal activity behind this fire. Notably impacted in Nice were the airport and tramway network, as well as nearby municipalities like Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Power was restored later in the morning.
Mayor Christian Estrosi expressed his outrage on social media, denouncing the intentional destruction. His deputy, Gaël Nofri, has indicated that the fire is likely a criminal act, mirroring patterns observed in the Cannes incident. Although no direct connection between the two cases has been established, a heightened security response has been announced around electrical sites in Nice.
Investigations are ongoing, with Nice prosecutor Damien Martinelli affirming that authorities aim to decode the motives and methods behind these disruptions. A probe into potential "organised arson" has also been initiated, underlining the seriousness of these recent events in France's scenic Riviera region.
