On the night of July 23 to 24, Georgia faced a massive power outage. The blackout affected the country's capital, Tbilisi, as well as several other major settlements. Currently, the exact causes of the incident remain unknown.
According to reports from Georgian media outlets, including TV Pirveli and Radio Liberty, electricity was lost in at least five regions: Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Kobuleti, and Telavi. The outage occurred suddenly, and preliminary estimates suggest that millions of citizens may be left without power.
Telecommunications failure
In addition to the lack of electricity, residents of the affected cities faced serious communication issues. Subscribers of several mobile operators reported that 5G networks were non-functional. In some areas, signal strength dropped to a minimum—one or two bars.
There were also disruptions in home and mobile internet services. Specifically, users were unable to access the official website of the Georgian Ministry of Energy. In Tbilisi, traffic lights stopped functioning due to the lack of power, creating risks for road traffic.
Response from authorities and energy companies
The operator of the Georgian power grid has not yet provided official comments on the situation. The press office of the department is not answering phone calls, which hinders the acquisition of up-to-date information.
The situation was commented on by Levan Mebonia, the director of the Enguri Hydroelectric Power Plant. Responding to journalists' questions, he stated that he is trying to figure out the causes of the massive outage. When asked whether the Enguri hydroelectric power plant, which supplies a significant portion of the country with energy, is currently operational, Mebonia replied that he does not have this information.
