A second major power outage in just two days has hit the French Riviera, with authorities now suspecting sabotage. The latest incident occurred early Sunday morning in the city of Nice, where a fire broke out at a power substation around 2:00am local time.
The fire, which knocked out electricity to about 45,000 homes, is believed to be a deliberate act. Police found tyre marks near the site and reported that the substation’s door had been forced open.
The blackout affected major parts of Nice, including the city’s airport, tram network, and the nearby towns of Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Power was eventually restored later in the morning.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi condemned the “malicious acts” and said security around electrical facilities would be increased. Deputy Mayor Gaël Nofri also suggested the fire was “probably of criminal origin.”
This follows a similar incident just a day earlier in nearby Cannes, where a suspected arson attack on another substation caused a major blackout. That outage affected around 160,000 homes and disrupted screenings at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, before organisers switched to private generators.
Authorities are now investigating both incidents, but say no direct connection has been found between them yet. A formal investigation into organised arson is underway.
Nice Prosecutor Damien Martinelli confirmed that police are working to determine the cause and method behind the substation fire.
This growing concern over infrastructure attacks comes at a sensitive time, as France hosts thousands of international visitors for the Cannes festival.
