Paris blackout sparks chaos as Olympics get underway
9:21 AM EDT, July 28, 2024
In Paris, Egyptian darkness took over. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, numerous photos and videos from the French capital appeared on social media. They show that the streets of the multi-million metropolis were completely dark. Services are explaining what caused the blackout.
The published materials on the web show that streetlights were not working in Paris, and buildings did not have power. According to reports in the media, the power outage was supposed to be short-lived and occurred in several districts of Paris. However, there is no official confirmation of what exactly happened.
The Olympics began in Paris on Friday. Thousands of athletes, journalists, and tourists are in town.
Reports indicate that the power issues appeared around midnight. The exact cause of the outage is still unknown.
Mass attack just before the Olympics: They wanted to paralyze the TGV
The blackout in Paris is yet another problem the French have faced in recent days. On Friday, a few hours before the opening of the Olympics, the French railway operator SNCF "announced that it had fallen victim to a "mass attack aimed at paralyzing the TGV (high-speed train) network."
According to SNCF, the disruptions are expected to last until the end of the weekend. Their source is arson near the TGV tracks. AFP reports from its sources that these may be acts of sabotage. One of the attacks was "thwarted."
The outgoing Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, criticized the attacks. "Playing against the Games is playing against France, against your own camp, against your country," she said in an interview with BFM TV.
