Power Outage Strikes Cannes Amid Film Festival, Police Investigate Possible Arson

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Power Outage Strikes Cannes Amid Film Festival, Police Investigate Possible Arson

4 weeks ago

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Power Outage Strikes Cannes Amid Film Festival, Police Investigate Possible Arson

Credited from: NYTIMES

A massive power outage impacted Cannes and 160,000 households during the film festival.
Police are probing a possible arson attack related to the outage.
Despite the disruption, the Cannes Film Festival's Closing Ceremony is set to proceed as planned.

A major power outage struck southeastern France on Saturday, affecting Cannes during its renowned film festival and leaving approximately 160,000 households without electricity. French authorities reported that the outage began at 10 a.m. local time, with power restored by around 3 p.m., according to Reuters, New York Times, and Channel News Asia.

Authorities opened an investigation into what they suspect may be an arson attack, as a fire had previously weakened the electrical grid at a substation near Cannes. The fire reportedly occurred around 2 a.m., causing significant disruptions to power, according to statements from local officials and the French national gendarmerie, as cited by CBS News, Le Monde, and India Times.

Despite the challenges posed by the outage, organizers of the Cannes Film Festival confirmed that the Closing Ceremony would continue as planned, supported by an independent power supply established for the event. This quick action ensured that all scheduled events and screenings could proceed, helping to minimize the disruption caused by the blackout, as highlighted by New York Times and Channel News Asia.