Bali, one of the world’s most popular holiday spots, was hit by an island-wide blackout on Friday that left the resort island in darkness. The outage began around 4 p.m. local time and affected multiple regions across Bali, causing widespread disruptions. Indonesia’s government blamed the widespread blackout on issues with subsea cables. In retaliation, the state electricity monopoly, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), was swift to act, mobilizing a network of technicians to get the power back on.
The blackout paralyzed operations at Bali’s airport, the primary gateway to the island for travelers arriving from across Indonesia and around the world. While backup generators kept some key functions running, many flights still experienced long cancellations, stranding travelers and making them fret. In addition to this absence of procedure, travelers on the rails were met with extensive waits at baggage check counters, adding to their burdensome travel experience.
Immediate Response to the Outage
In response to the blackout, PLN prioritized restoring electricity to essential infrastructure on the island, including government offices, hospitals, the airport, and hotels. This swift action aimed to minimize the impact on both residents and tourists during one of Bali’s busiest times of the year.
When power started returning, a few hours after the first outage, residents and visitors shared their relief as they returned to a more normal rhythm. The ongoing restoration efforts continued into the night. PLN would later assure customers, with dubious certainty, that all power would be restored by Saturday morning.
“State utility PLN managed to restore most of the electricity supply in Bali.” – Prasetyo Hadi
The blackout produced substantial traffic pandemonium on Bali’s most crowded interstates in the course of Friday night hurry hour. As traffic light systems failed with the power outage, drivers encountered increasingly chaotic conditions. Local reporters documented huge backups at key interstate crosspoints. These delays made travel across the island extremely difficult for anyone attempting to get to their residence or place of stay.
Traffic Chaos Amidst the Blackout
The confusion on the roads highlighted the ripple effects of the blackout on daily life in Bali, particularly for the millions of tourists who flocked to the island each year. In 2019, before the pandemic, Bali hosted 6.3 million international tourists, so the island’s infrastructure is vital for tourism and Balinese people alike.
As electricity was slowly and steadily being brought back to all areas of the island, PLN did not lose sight of that mission to fix what was still needed. Prasetyo Hadi added optimism regarding the restoration timeline:
Restoration and Future Precautions
By early Saturday morning PLN was able to proudly announce that electricity had been fully restored throughout the island of Bali. Their actions during this emergency exemplify the need for strong infrastructure that keeps everyone – local and tourist alike – safe and moving.
“God willing, power connection in Bali will be fully restored tonight (Friday night).” – Prasetyo Hadi
By early Saturday morning, PLN announced that electricity had been fully restored across Bali. Their efforts during this incident underline the importance of maintaining robust infrastructure to support both residents and visitors.
