An estimated quarter of the Norwegian capital was blacked out in the early morning hours of Wednesday after a massive power failure hit much of Oslo’s east and south sides. The loss of electricity shut down all lines of Oslo’s metro system (T-bane).
Oslo’s tram system was also affected by the power cut, on the Ekeberg line that runs through Nordstrand and south to Ljabru, but state broadcaster NRK reported that power was restored there by around 7am. Train lines were also unaffected, but commuters were nonetheless warned to expect major delays.
A spokesman for Oslo utility firm Hafslund, which is in charge of the city’s electricity network, called the power failure “very large” as it blacked out such areas as Helsfyr, Tveita, Bøler, Oppsal and Mortensrud. At its worst, the power cut affected the entire east and southeast sides from Ulven to Klemetsrud.
Morten Schou of Hafslund estimated that as many as a quarter of Hafslund’s customers were without power and he couldn’t explain why. Emergency crews scrambled to find the cause of the power cut and fix it.
Power was being restored to most customers but the T-bane metro system was still standing still at 7:15 am, severely disrupting the morning commuter rush. Power returned to the Helsfyr area, a major public transport hub, but the metro system was unable to resume operations until the power supply stabilized.
newsinenglish.no staff
