Monkey Causes Power Outage

Tuesday, 11 February, 2025209 words3 minutes
A nationwide power outage in Sri Lanka has been attributed to an unexpected intruder - a monkey that infiltrated a power station south of Colombo. This incident plunged the island nation of 22 million inhabitants into darkness, prompting a gradual restoration of electricity with priority given to critical infrastructure.
Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody elucidated that the primate came into contact with a grid transformer, precipitating an imbalance in the power distribution system. The blackout commenced at approximately 11:00 local time on Sunday, compelling many citizens to resort to alternative power sources such as generators.
The peculiar nature of the incident sparked a flurry of reactions on social media platforms. While some netizens lambasted the authorities for the vulnerability of the power grid, others seized the opportunity to inject humor into the situation. Notable comments ranged from critiques of infrastructure resilience to witty allusions to mythological tales involving monkeys and Sri Lanka.
This event has reignited discussions about the robustness of Sri Lanka's power infrastructure. A local newspaper report cited anonymous engineers who have been advocating for grid upgrades to mitigate the risk of frequent blackouts. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of critical systems and the unpredictable nature of external factors that can disrupt them.
Original News
Monkey Causes Power Outage

Audio

Loading audio ...
00:00

Words

  • attributed
  • elucidated
  • precipitating
  • lambasted
  • resilience

Quiz

  1. 1. What was the immediate consequence of the monkey's contact with the grid transformer?

  2. 2. How did authorities prioritize power restoration?

  3. 3. What broader issue did this incident highlight according to the passage?