Contractor Accident Causes 20-Hour Power Outage Amid Heatwave in Central Tel Aviv

A contractor working for the Tel Aviv municipality accidentally damaged power cables on King George Street, causing a nearly 20-hour electricity outage in central Tel Aviv around King George and Bar Giora streets. The outage occurred during a severe summer heatwave, leaving residents without air conditioning and businesses suffering significant losses. The blackout began the night before and only started to be restored gradually around 11 a.m. the following day, with full power resumption by midday.

Residents described the night as unbearable due to the intense heat and humidity, with some forced to stay with relatives or friends. Electric company crews worked continuously through the night to repair the damaged infrastructure. The Israel Electric Corporation confirmed the contractor's responsibility and emphasized their teams' nonstop efforts to restore power, which was partially returned to some customers overnight before full restoration.

The prolonged outage during extreme heat caused distress and financial damage to local businesses, highlighting vulnerabilities in infrastructure maintenance during critical weather conditions. The Israel Electric Corporation and city officials are addressing the incident as investigations continue.