Rennes electrical substation explosion causes widespread power outages

An explosion and subsequent fire occurred at an RTE technical building in the Saint-Laurent district of Rennes on Saturday, August 15. The incident impacted 13 of the 20,000-volt supply lines, leaving several thousand residents in Saint-Grégoire, Betton, and Saint-Laurent without electricity.

While the fire was quickly extinguished, six supply lines remained out of service at the time of reporting. Emergency services received numerous calls, including reports of individuals trapped in elevators. This marks the second major power outage caused by an incident at the Saint-Laurent substation within a two-month period. Enedis aimed to restore power during the afternoon.