Papua New Guinea: Power outage ongoing in Lae, Morobe Province, as of April 9

Event

As of April 9, a power outage is reportedly ongoing in Lae, Morobe Province; the outage began April 8. The outage is due to a fault between two substations. Electricity provider Power PNG has reportedly stated it hopes to restore power by the end of April 9, though as of writing it is unconfirmed if this will occur.

The blackout will likely prompt business and telecommunications disruptions across the island until power is restored, and residual disruptions are possible even after electricity is restored. Transport disruptions are likely in areas with malfunctioning traffic signals. The power outage could result in the temporary unavailability of essential services, such as ATMs and gas stations. The blackout could also adversely affect security protocols, including alarm systems and electronic fences; opportunistic criminal activity could increase during the outage.

Advice

Unplug electronic equipment that is not connected to surge protectors. Exercise caution when driving in areas affected by the power outage. Confirm business appointments. Verify that security systems are operational, including after power is restored. Ensure that generators are functional and fully fueled. Monitor local news sources for further developments.