Aisha Tukur
Cuba experienced a nationwide blackout after its main energy plant failed, officials said.
Its power grid collapsed at around 11:00 (15:00 GMT), the energy ministry wrote on X.
Grid officials said they did not know how long it would take to restore power.
This follows months of lengthy blackouts on the island – prompting the prime minister to declare an “energy emergency” on Thursday.
Friday’s total blackout came after the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas – the largest on the island – went offline.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said the situation was his “absolute priority”.
“There will be no rest until power is restored,” he wrote on X.
Earlier on Friday, officials announced that all schools and nonessential activities, including nightclubs, were to close until Monday.
Non-essential workers were urged to stay home to safeguard electricity supply, and non-vital government services were suspended.
Cubans have also been urged to switch off high-consumption appliances during peak hours, such as fridges and ovens, according to local media.
