Wild monkey plunges Kenya into darkness

A monkey caused a massive blackout in Kenya after falling on a key transformer in the country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the KenGen power generating company said on Wednesday.

Nairobi: A monkey caused a massive blackout in Kenya after falling on a key transformer in the country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the KenGen power generating company said on Wednesday.

The wild primate climbed onto the roof of Gitaru plant, located on the Tana river, 160 km north of capital Nairobi, and fell onto a key transformer, Efe news reported. The activated transformer overloaded the plant, leading to a loss of 180 mW of power and triggering a nationwide blackout that lasted four hours.

“We regret this isolated incident,” said KenGen in a statement. The monkey survived and is being looked after by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!