On the 24th (local time), a large-scale power outage occurred in some areas of the Alpes-Maritimes region in southeastern France, and police are investigating the possibility of arson at a transformer station. The southern resort city of Cannes, where an international film festival is taking place, was also affected by the outage, but organizers stated that the closing ceremony will proceed as scheduled.
According to reports from international news agencies such as AFP, Reuters, and the associated press, the power grid weakened overnight due to a fire at a transformer station near Cannes, causing power outages for approximately 160,000 households in the area. The transmission operator RTE France noted that they are working on restoring power.
A spokesperson for the French police said, "We are investigating the possibility that the fire was intentionally set," adding that no suspects have been arrested yet.
The power outage caused traffic lights to stop functioning in Cannes and nearby Antibes starting at 10 a.m., leading to traffic congestion. There were also disruptions in train services in Cannes, and most shops along the bustling Croisette were closed. Grocery stores are only accepting cash.
The Cannes Film Festival organizing committee explained that although film screenings were temporarily halted, there would be no impact on the events, including the closing ceremony. The committee issued a statement saying, "The Palais des Festivals, the main building of the festival, will switch to self-power supply to ensure that all events and screenings, including the closing ceremony, proceed as scheduled."
The film festival has been underway in Cannes since the 13th, with major awards, including the Palme d'Or, to be presented at the highlight closing ceremony.