A sudden power outage hit Prague and several other regions of the Czech Republic on Friday, July 4, bringing parts of the country to a halt and shutting down metro lines, trams, and trains.
Prague’s metro system was heavily affected just after midday, with the entire network going offline. Tram services were also disrupted, particularly on the right bank of the Vltava River, where most trams stopped running.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala confirmed that the blackout wasn’t limited to the capital. “We are investigating the causes and solving the problem,” Fiala posted on X. According to the ČEPS power grid operator and local media, the regions of Ústí, Liberec, and Hradec Králové were also affected.
Hospitals quickly switched to emergency power. Health Minister Vlastimil Valek sought to reassure the public in a message posted on X: “I want to reassure everyone. Healthcare facilities have clear procedures for such situations. Backup generators have been activated in the affected hospitals. Patient care is not at risk.”
The cause of the outage is still unknown, but officials have ruled out a cyberattack.
