A kite line with cerol caused a high-voltage power line break in the Jardim Sulacap region, resulting in an electricity outage affecting 190,000 customers in several areas of Rio de Janeiro.
On the night of Sunday, October 1st, a kite line treated with cerol, a hazardous material used by kite flyers in Brazil, caused a significant electrical outage in Rio de Janeiro. The incident involved the break of a high-voltage power line belonging to Light in the Jardim Sulacap area, leaving approximately 190,000 customers without power. Affected neighborhoods included São Conrado, Rocinha, Barra da Tijuca, and Jacarepaguá, prompting immediate responses from local authorities and emergency teams.
Initially, Light's statement attributed the outage to the rupture of a transmission cable on Estrada do Catonho, which was subsequently closed in both directions due to safety concerns. Eyewitness accounts and social media reports indicated that residents experienced power loss for over three hours, highlighting the incident's immediate impact on daily life in the affected neighborhoods. The company's teams were quickly mobilized to restore service and repair the damaged electrical infrastructure.
The occurrence raises important safety concerns regarding the use of cerol in kite flying, which is illegal in many areas due to its potential to cause serious injuries and disrupt essential services. This incident not only stresses the need for stricter regulations but also highlights the ongoing challenges faced by urban infrastructure in coping with recreational activities that pose risks to public safety and service reliability.
