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Fallen High-Voltage Cable Cuts Power Across Prague and Bohemia

Restoration efforts continue for the remaining 2,000 customers following the return to service of five substations.

Trams are immobilized during a major power outage in Prague, Czech Republic, July 4, 2025. CTK/Ptacek Jan via REUTERS
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Overview

  • A fallen high-voltage cable on the V411 transmission line triggered a blackout shortly after noon in Prague and parts of Central, North and East Bohemia, halting metro and tram services.
  • By 1600 GMT, grid operator CEPS had restored five of eight affected substations, but about 2,000 of the half-million initially impacted customers remained offline.
  • Hospitals in Prague and regional towns switched to backup diesel generators while fire brigades conducted over 215 lift rescues after elevators lost power.
  • Interior Minister Vit Rakusan and the Industry and Trade Ministry ruled out cyberattack or terrorism and say investigations are focused on the cable failure.
  • The outage underscores vulnerabilities in Europe’s aging transmission network and has prompted calls for investment in grid modernization and redundancy.