HAVANA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A partial collapse of Cuba's National Electric System left western provinces without electricity on Saturday, the state-run Electric Union said.

In a brief statement on social media, the union said the failure occurred between the provinces of Matanzas and Pinar del Rio at 6:07 p.m. local time (2207 GMT) and was caused by transmission line trips.

Cuba has struggled to import fuel and repair its aging power plants due to the impact of U.S. sanctions, the statement said.

Since October 2024, the country has suffered several nationwide blackouts caused by power infrastructure failures and hurricanes, it added. ■