Cuban authorities make progress restoring electricity after a blackout hit two-thirds of the country, with the national grid now reconnected.

Havana: Cuban authorities said they made progress toward restoring power to end a major blackout that hit two-thirds of the country.

The energy ministry announced the national electrical system was reconnected nationwide as of Thursday morning.

It said more generation units are being brought back online so people will have power again.

Several areas of Havana did have electricity on Thursday morning, AFP observed.

Cuba’s electricity generation system is in shambles.

Daily power outages of up to 20 hours are the norm in parts of the island, which lacks the fuel needed to generate power.

The crisis in the country of 9.6 million people comes at a particularly tense time.

It has become more acute since the US ouster of Cuba’s top ally, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.

Maduro’s administration supplied about half of Cuba’s fuel.

After his capture, Washington imposed an oil embargo on arch-foe Cuba but later eased it.

This followed warnings from other Caribbean countries that it could trigger an economic collapse.

President Donald Trump has maintained his blockade, and oil shipments from Caracas to Havana are in limbo.

 The Sun Malaysia