Light Says Kite Line With Cerol Caused Rio Blackout and Service Is Now Normal

Overview

• Light identified a kite line coated with glass powder as the cause of a severed high‑voltage span on March 1, triggering outages in the city’s southwest and parts of the south zone.
• Between roughly 160,000 and 190,000 customers lost power across Jacarepaguá neighborhoods and parts of Barra da Tijuca, São Conrado and Rocinha.
• Supply was restored gradually through network reconfiguration and remote operations by Light’s Integrated Control Center, with full normalization reported before dawn.
• The Estrada do Catonho was temporarily closed during repairs, and local authorities reported the Barra da Tijuca, São Conrado and Porta D’Água substations were taken offline.
• Separate coverage notes persistent cable theft statewide in 2025, including 13.2 km of wiring stolen and tougher penalties under a new law, with utilities promoting anonymous tip lines.