Power cut hits Nice in second suspected sabotage after Cannes

A widespread power outage struck the city of Nice, France, marking the second suspected act of sabotage following a similar blackout that disrupted the Cannes Film Festival. Authorities are investigating the incidents, raising concerns about the security of the region’s electrical infrastructure. The blackout affected residents, businesses, and public services, prompting emergency responses. This latest disruption has heightened fears of coordinated attacks on critical systems in southern France, as officials work to determine the cause and culprits.

A day after the city of Cannes experienced a significant power outage during the International Film Festival, believed to be an act of sabotage, a similar incident occurred in nearby Nice. On Sunday, a blaze at a power substation in Nice caused a second major blackout in France’s Riviera region within 48 hours, raising suspicions of deliberate sabotage. Authorities are treating the incident as a potential attack.

The fire disrupted electricity for approximately 45,000 homes, cutting power around 2 a.m. local time. According to local media citing police sources, tyre marks were spotted near the substation, and the facility’s door had been forcibly opened, suggesting possible foul play.

The outage impacted key infrastructure in Nice, including the airport, tram system, and nearby towns such as Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer, until electricity was restored later that morning.

Nice’s Mayor, Christian Estrosi, condemned what he called deliberate attempts to disrupt the power supply, stating that both national and local police responded quickly and that the city would increase security around vital energy infrastructure.

Mayor Estrosi added that surveillance footage is being handed over to investigators and that additional security measures will be put in place at strategic power sites. Deputy Mayor Gaël Nofri also suggested that the fire may have been caused intentionally, pointing toward criminal activity.

This mirrored the earlier blackout in Cannes, which occurred during a major cultural event and is also suspected to have been caused by an arson attack targeting a substation. BBC reported that the Cannes outage affected roughly 160,000 homes, crippling local businesses and restaurants.

Australian producer Darren Vukasinovic, present in Cannes during the blackout, described the situation as chaotic, joking that the town had “run out of croissants” and likened the disruption to a full-blown crisis.

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Source: indianexpress‍