HAVANA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cuba was hit on Saturday by a partial collapse of its national electric system affecting provinces from Matanzas to Pinar del Río, the National Electric Union said.

The union said in a statement that the incident occurred at 18:07 p.m. local time, triggered by the tripping of transmission lines.

Affected by U.S. sanctions, Cuba has long struggled to import fuel and equipment needed to repair its severely aging power plants, leaving the country's electricity supply strained.

Since October 2024, Cuba has experienced several nationwide blackouts due to power facility failures, hurricanes and other factors. ■