Cannes Blackout: Power Substation Set On Fire, Pylon Vandalised In Suspected Sabotage

A power substation and an electricity pylon were vandalised overnight in the region around France's Cannes, which has been hit by a major blackout on the final day of its film festival, officials said.

A substation in the village of Tanneron which supplies Cannes was targeted by a suspected arson attack, while the legs of a pylon carrying a high-voltage line were cut in Villeneuve-Loubet, prosecutors and local officials said.

A fire broke out at the Tanneron substation, about 12km (seven miles) northwest of central Cannes, at around 2am (0000 GMT), local authorities told AFP.

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Seven fire engines were called to the scene and the blaze was extinguished at 7am, it said.

Cannes Mayor David Lisnard said that it had been "targeted in a criminal act."

The pylon in Villeneuve-Loubet, 15km to the northeast towards the city of Nice, was also sabotaged, with three of its legs found to have been cut, the local prosecutor's office said.

Electricity was being restored gradually to the region and AFP journalists saw traffic lights working again near the Cannes film festival headquarters.

The power cut of more than five hours knocked out electricity across the town, with 160,000 homes affected, according to grid operator RTE.

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