Massive Power Outage Strikes Eure-et-Loir, Disrupting Lives and Services
A significant power outage struck Eure-et-Loir on Thursday afternoon, affecting approximately 80,000 homes and paralyzing daily activities for over 100,000 people. The outage began around 2 p.m. due to a material fault on a 225,000 volt power line managed by RTE, the national electricity transmission operator. Initial reports indicated that the incident primarily impacted the Chartres area, causing a series of disruptions across the department.
According to RTE, power restoration efforts commenced shortly after the incident, with some homes regaining electricity by 4:40 p.m. However, as of 7:00 p.m., several areas, particularly in Chartres, remained without power. RTE mobilized around thirty employees to address the situation and restore services as quickly as possible.
The outage had a ripple effect on local infrastructure, particularly rail transport. Train services on the Paris-Chartres-Le Mans line faced significant interruptions, leading to cancellations and delays. Train traffic resumed by 5:30 p.m., with a return to normal operations anticipated later that evening. The disruptions also extended to mobile telephone networks, complicating communication for residents during the outage.
- The outage also prompted emergency services and local authorities to convene a crisis meeting to investigate the underlying causes of the incident. In the wake of the power failure, many shops in the Chartres metropolitan area closed their doors, as cash registers and security systems were rendered inoperable. Public buildings, including town halls and administrative offices, were evacuated as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the public. Florent Colin, general manager of Synelva, a local electricity distribution company, confirmed that the outage impacted around **50,000 delivery points**, affecting over **100,000 residents** in the region. The four Synelva source stations, which supply electricity to 80 municipalities in Eure-et-Loir, were disconnected during the incident, particularly affecting the Chartres conurbation and the southern areas near Châteaudun. Local radio station Radio Intensité also faced challenges, as it could not broadcast due to the lack of electricity.
