Power outage plunges Balkans into chaos amid searing heat

The entire region of Dalmatia and most of Montenegro are without power. According to the portal avaz.ba, a fire broke out on one of the transmission lines in Montenegro, which might have caused the power system to collapse. The crisis management team is currently in session.

Material updated

Power is not reaching Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Croatia, Greece, and parts of Montenegro.

According to avaz.ba, the failure occurred at around 12:25 AM local time. "It happened at the worst possible moment: it is 104 degrees Fahrenheit outside," reads the report.

"The preliminary cause was problems on the transmission line and the overloading of key 400 kV connecting lines," announced the independent operator of the electric power system of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The direct consequence of this was the cascading transmission of disturbances. A similar scenario occurred on June 20, 2024, when there was a problem in Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro. At that time, the quick intervention of the operational personnel and the localization of the problem at the border with Montenegro prevented the spread of the power system collapse in Bosnia and Herzegovina," the statement added.

"Considering that today’s disturbances spread to Croatia, with Bosnia and Herzegovina having the largest number of connected transmission lines, it was not possible to prevent the collapse of the electrical power system. Currently, the entire region is affected by cascading power outages: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, and parts of Serbia," it added.

According to local media reports, chaos has erupted in many cities. Traffic lights are not working, public transportation has come to a standstill, and the water supply has been interrupted. "Crossing pedestrian crossings in Sarajevo is almost a mission impossible. People are risking their lives," the report states.

Efforts are underway to restore power. According to the service report, electricity is already reaching some districts and regions.