Thunderbolt Hits High Voltage Line, Causes Nationwide Outage

A thunderbolt struck the 220-kilovolt high voltage transmission line between al-Zahrani and Aramoun on Sunday, bringing all power plants in Lebanon to a halt, the National News Agency reported.

Technical crews from state-run firm Electricite Du Liban were exerting efforts to reconnect all groups to the grid within hours, the agency added.

Lebanon has been contending with rolling blackouts since the days of its 1975-1990 civil war. Successive governments have failed to agree on a permanent solution for the chronic electricity failures, largely because of profiteering, endemic corruption and lack of political will.

Failure to provide the necessary funds for purchasing fuel has also led to additional power cuts in recent days.