Subj: Major Blackout Strikes Mallorca
Date: 6/15/00 6:26:22 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Major Blackout Strikes Mallorca

Associated Press
June 15, 2000; 7:54 a.m. EDT

PALMA, Balearic Islands –– A power outage struck the resort island of
Mallorca on Thursday, leaving more than 700,000 people without
electricity for several hours.

Stoplights were knocked out and police had to direct traffic as
firefighters answered calls to rescue people trapped in elevators.

The local utility company GESA blamed technical problems, saying a rise
in temperatures stoked demand for air conditioners and overloaded the
network.

The blackout began around 10:30 a.m. and affected most of the island, as
well as some areas of nearby Menorca island, according to state radio
RNE. The island of Mallorca alone has 700,000 residents.

Power was restored in some areas within two hours, and was to be
restored completely over the course of the day, RNE said.