GibElec has confirmed that this afternoon's Gibraltar-wide power cut has been caused by a contractor going through 3 main High Voltage Cables. 

The contractor SDE Limited was carrying out work for the data centre. Gibelec had provided detailed maps of the cables in the area, as is standard procedure. 

Testing has commenced to identify the damaged cables and to identify which remaining cables may be used to restore power. 

Information about restoration will be disseminated as soon as possible, but will be gradual, and delays are expected. Work is ongoing to begin to restore power district by district. GibElec estimates that it will begin to restore power at 7pm. 

Services at St Bernard's Hospital are unaffected as the hospital's generators are working optimally. 

The Minister for Utilities, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, delayed travel to London this afternoon in order to personally visit the power station and oversee the efforts to restore electricity as soon as possible. 

The Government says it is already in the advanced stages of considering the implementation of legislation to ensure that contractors can be held to account in situations such as these. 

In recent days the Government has successfully settled a claim for compensation with the contractors who caused a blackout in April this year at the BESS site. 

The Government is also actively considering what action can be taken against SDE Limited in relation to today's power cut. 

A statement ended: “Power cuts have a significant impact on public safety and the economy, affecting everything from household appliances to small businesses, to traffic management and the GFRS. The Government takes this opportunity to thank all those who have worked to mitigate the impact of today's power cut and to keep Gibraltar safe.”

Update: Power started returning to homes and businesses in a staggered manner as from 7pm.