Island-wide blackout hits Puerto Rico; officials probe cause

Alvin Baez | Reuters

People in a coffee shop during a power outage that affected several areas in the country, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, September 21, 2016.

An island-wide blackout has hit Puerto Rico, which is struggling with an increasingly unstable power grid nearly seven months after Hurricane Maria hit the U.S. territory.

Electric Power Authority spokeswoman Yohari Molina tells The Associated Press that crews are investigating the cause. Officials said Wednesday it could take 24 to 36 hours to fully restore power.

It’s the first time since the Category 4 storm hit on Sept. 20 that Puerto Rico has experienced a full island-wide blackout.

Some 40,000 power customers were still without normal electricity service as a result of the hurricane.