2020 Sri Lankan blackouts (original) (raw)

The 2020 Sri Lankan blackouts were a series of electrical blackouts that occurred on 17 August 2020, beginning around 12.30 pm SLST (UTC+5:30) and lasting over seven hours. The nationwide blackouts occurred due to a transmission technical failure at the Kerawalapitiya Grid-Sub station. The Ceylon Electricity Board announced that the cause of the blackout had not yet been determined, describing it as an unspecified failure. The Ministry of Power stated that a special committee had been appointed to investigate the root cause behind the blackout.