How a transformer blast in La Chorrera blacked out Panama overnight in March 2025

On the night of 15 March 2025 around 11:35 p.m., Panama suffered a nationwide blackout after a fire and explosion of a 50 MVA transformer at the private thermoelectric plant Pan-Am in La Chorrera. Full restoration (“código blanco”) came on 16 March around 06:08. IDAAN’s Chilibre potabilization plant also stopped during the event, then recovered with the grid.

ASEP opened investigations into the incident.

What it means for daily life: A benchmark reminder of grid fragility — when power fails, water production can fail too. Keep it in mind alongside later outage episodes when judging backup plans for A/C, internet, and stored water.

Sources

• La Prensa — ETESA full restoration
• La Prensa — ASEP investigation

Historical March 2025 event. Check current utility notices for outages.