CFE substation explosion triggers massive blackout in Veracruz, Mexico

An explosion and subsequent fire at a Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) substation in the Fraccionamiento Floresta area of Veracruz caused a widespread power outage on Saturday. The incident, which began around midday, was preceded by multiple detonations, a column of black smoke and prompted dozens of families to evacuate the vicinity.

Authorities reported no injuries or fatalities. Municipal firefighters, civil protection teams and CFE technicians responded to contain the blaze and secure the site. The outage left thousands of residents across neighborhoods such as El Coyol, Puente Moreno, Rincón de Palma Real, Arboledas San Ramón and the historic centre without electricity amid temperatures exceeding 30 °C, leading to concerns over food spoilage and discomfort.

The cause of the explosions is still under investigation, and specialists indicated that full restoration of power could take an undetermined amount of time.