Sao Paulo: A severe storm has left over 1.4 million people in Sao Paulo without electricity, causing significant travel disruptions across the city. Strong winds toppled trees onto the city’s power lines, forcing the cancellation of nearly 400 flights, though no casualties have been reported.
The Italian utility company Enel has yet to provide a timeline for power restoration. Executive Marcelo Puertas stated that around 1,300 employees are actively working to resolve the crisis. City authorities confirmed that 231 trees fell during the extratropical storm, affecting both Congonhas Airport and Guarulhos International Airport, the latter located outside the city.
Mayor Ricardo Nunes criticized the utility, claiming the company has not fully addressed the situation and called it “irresponsible.” Residents expressed frustration over repeated outages, noting that over 2 million people were already left without power on Wednesday.
The blackout is also affecting essential services. Sabesp, the city’s water company, warned that water supply is being disrupted as energy-dependent pumps remain non-operational. Images of Enel-branded vehicles parked downtown fueled public anger. Authorities are working to clear fallen trees and restore electricity across the metropolitan area.
