French Authorities Probe Sabotage Behind Major Power Outages
French officials have opened an investigation into a large-scale power outage suspected to be the result of sabotage, which left around 45,000 people without electricity. The blackout occurred just one day after a similar disruption hit the final day of the Cannes Film Festival.
Local authorities in Nice reported that an electrical transformer in the western part of the city was deliberately set on fire early Sunday morning. Power was restored later that day. On Saturday, a separate fire, believed to have been caused by arson, triggered a blackout in Cannes.
That initial outage impacted some 160,000 homes, disabling traffic signals and ATMs across the French Riviera. According to broadcaster BFMTV, the situation was made worse by vandalism to a power pylon—three of its four support legs had been sawed through. On Sunday, Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi condemned the “malicious acts” in a social media post, stating that electricity was swiftly restored and both local and national police had been deployed. He also announced that security camera footage would be turned over to investigators and that surveillance around critical electrical infrastructure would be enhanced.
Addressing the earlier power loss in Cannes, regional prefect Laurent Hottiaux told BFMTV that certain suspicious factors suggested it was not a random incident. He refrained from further comment, citing an ongoing investigation led by the national prosecutor’s office. Additional security measures have since been put in place.
The Cannes Film Festival’s headquarters was directly affected by the outage, which interrupted several film screenings. However, the awards ceremony continued as scheduled, powered by backup generators. The festival’s top honor went to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi for his politically charged drama It Was Just an Accident, inspired by his experiences in prison.
Iranian officials did not respond to Panahi’s win. The 64-year-old director, who has been repeatedly jailed, used the platform to issue a call for unity in Iran. His film follows five individuals confronting a man they believe tortured them while imprisoned.
Authorities have not indicated that the Cannes festival was a specific target, nor have they identified any suspects in connection with the sabotage.
Éric Ciotti, a conservative French Member of the European Parliament representing the region, labeled the incidents as both sabotage and acts of terrorism. The former leader of the center-right Les Républicains party warned that the destruction posed serious risks to public safety, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “These terrorist acts must be countered without mercy.”
European officials have linked a recent wave of sabotage across the continent—including fires in commercial areas, cyber-attacks, assaults, and antisemitic vandalism—to criminal networks allegedly working on behalf of foreign governments, especially Russia.
As awareness of sabotage increases, so does the spread of disinformation. Fake online stories recently blamed Russia for power outages in Spain. Meanwhile, a recent blaze at a substation in London that disrupted operations at Heathrow Airport remains under investigation, although authorities have ruled out foul play.
