Power goes out in parts of Male’ and Hulhumale’, days after two-hour blackout

The power went out in parts of Male’ City and Hulhumale’ on Thursday afternoon, less than a week after a blackout left tens of thousands of people living in the populous Maldivian capital without electricity for nearly three hours.

The latest power outage hit the Maldivian capital just after 12:30 pm on Thursday.

State Electric Company (STELCO) confirmed the disruption of electricity services in parts of Male’ City and Hulhumale’ shortly after, attributing it to a “technical issue”.

“We are working on resolving the issue and restore power to the affected areas. We apologize for the inconvenience,” said the state utility company, in a post on X.

ދިމާވި ޓެކްނިކަލް މައްސަލައަކާއި ގުޅިގެން މާލެއާއި ހުޅުމާލޭގެ ބައެއް ސަރަހައްދުތަކުން ވަނީ ކަރަންޓުގެ ހިދުމަތް މެދުކެނޑިފައި. މައްސަލަ ހައްލުކޮށް އަލުން ކަރަންޓު ދިނުމުގެ މަސައްކަތްތައް ދަނީ ކުރެވެމުން. ދިމާވާނެ ދަތިތަކަށް މަޢާފަށް އެދެން.

— STELCO (@STELCOMALDIVES) August 14, 2025

The latest power outage in the capital comes after a blackout on Saturday that left people in Male’ and Hulhumale’ without electricity for nearly three hours, and two months after another total blackout in the capital that lasted nearly six hours.

Speaking to Sun after the outage on Saturday, STELCO’s managing director Hassan Fahmy said the company had identified the cause of the outage, and was working on “sorting it out.”

However, he declined to say anything beyond confirming it was a “technical issue.”

When questioned about the reason for the recurrence of a similar outage two months later, Fahmy responded that STELCO continuously strives to ensure there’s no recurrence of such incidents.

The previous blackout on June 1 prompted President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to order a police investigation. However, the findings of this investigation were never publicly disclosed.