Energy outage Cannes Movie Competition, potential arson

A serious energy outage struck southeastern France on Saturday morning, disrupting site visitors and briefly halting occasions on the Cannes Movie Competition as the distinguished occasion ready at hand out its prime prize.

Energy was restored round 3 p.m., as music started blasting once more from beachfront audio system. The tip of the blackout was greeted with loud cheers from locals.

Earlier, about 160,000 households within the Alpes-Maritimes division misplaced electrical energy after a high-voltage line fell Saturday morning, electrical energy community operator RTE stated on X. The outage got here hours after a fireplace at {an electrical} substation close to Cannes in a single day had already weakened the grid.

Police have opened an investigation into potential arson.

“We’re trying into the chance of a fireplace being began intentionally,” stated a spokesperson for the French nationwide gendarmerie.

Cannes Movie Competition organizers confirmed the outage affected the early actions of Saturday and stated the Palais des Festivals — the Croisette’s foremost venue — had switched to an impartial energy provide.

“All scheduled occasions and screenings, together with the Closing Ceremony, will proceed as deliberate and beneath regular circumstances,” the assertion stated. “At this stage, the reason for the outage has not but been recognized. Restoration efforts are underway.”

Visitors lights in components of Cannes and the encompassing metropolis of Antibes stopped working after 10 a.m., resulting in site visitors jams and confusion in metropolis facilities. Most outlets alongside the Croisette remained closed, and native meals kiosks had been solely accepting money. Practice service in Cannes was additionally disrupted.

Screenings on the Cineum, one of many pageant’s satellite tv for pc venues, had been briefly suspended, the pageant added.