Puerto Rico hit by total blackout as all electricity wiped out across island

The island of Puerto Rico has been plunged into a total blackout after electricity was wiped out - as officials warn it could take "days" to return. Energy plants unexpectedly shut down on Wednesday and has caused "significant disruption" to residents. Passengers onboard trains had to get off after the power outage stopped their journey. An urgent investigation into the blackout is underway, according to power generator Genera.

In a statement on X, they said: "We are reporting that we have experienced a massive power outage across the island due to the unexpected shutdown of all generating plants, including those of Genera PR and other private generators. This situation has caused a significant disruption to electrical service, and we are currently collaborating to identify the recovery process.

" Our team is working immediately to bring backup units online and investigate the cause of this sudden event. We are committed to keeping you informed and providing ongoing updates as we learn more about the evolving situation and the official reasons for the outage.The public is being urged to take precautions."

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The outage began around 12:40 p.m. local time, according to officials. "We will provide updates as soon as more details become available regarding the cause of the outage and the timeframe for restoring service," Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez said on X.

Energy czar Josué Colón admitted it could days before the power is restored. He told local media: "It will almost certainly take today and tomorrow (to restore power) , if there isn't major damage to the units. Service won't be restored to all customers today . It will take time. It will take all afternoon and evening today and all day tomorrow, if there isn't any permanent breakdown or damage, which I don't have the information on at this time."