A significant power outage swept through Oslo and the surrounding Romerike area, affecting over 8,000 households on Thursday evening. The outage, attributed to issues with high-voltage power lines, left thousands of residents without electricity for nearly an hour.
According to Elvia, the electricity company responsible for the region's power supply, more than 5,000 customers were reported to be without power in Oslo alone. The outage also impacted 1,831 customers in Lillestrøm, 1,052 customers in Lørenskog, and 148 customers in Rælingen.
Elvia’s outage map confirmed the scale of the incident around 6:30 PM, showing over 7,000 homes impacted at one point. The numbers skyrocketed later to over 8,300 households affected before the issue was resolved.
By 7:10 PM, power had been restored to all affected areas, illustrating the prompt response of Elvia’s repair crews. They immediately began working to locate and fix the fault causing the outage. Several locations were identified as hard hit, including the neighborhoods of Stubberud, Haugerud, and Lindeberg.
Public reactions to the outage appeared subdued. One shopper, Carola Robles, who was at Strømmen shopping center with her son, shared her experience with Dagbladet. "We had just sat down to eat when the power went out," she recounted. Despite the sudden blackout, Robles noted, "There was no panic on the shopping center. Staff came over and informed us power should be back shortly, within about half an hour. Customers continued to walk around using their phone flashlights to navigate the darkness.
Elvia stated the situation was recognized early and repair teams were quickly dispatched to rectify the problem. The swift restoration of power signals effective emergency protocols by the company, which was praised by local authorities.
Further reports confirmed additional locations experiencing outages, particularly Lindeberg, which fell under Elvia’s jurisdiction. The company kept the public informed throughout the evening via updates on its website.
Witnesses from various affected neighborhoods reported minor disruptions, and the overall mood remained calm throughout the outages. Many took the downtime to socialize with neighbors or explore alternate sources of light, like candles and mobile devices.
This incident, albeit inconvenient, serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of electrical systems and the rapid response needed to address utility outages. With the increasing occurrence of weather-related incidents and potential disruptions, public awareness and preparedness become increasingly important.
Overall, the response from Elvia demonstrated the importance of having efficient systems and communication strategies to mitigate the effects of unexpected electrical failures. Supportive feedback from the community and efficient restoration efforts highlight the resilience of both the power company and the public it serves.
