Cuba blacked out as Hurricane Oscar approaches

HAVANA - Millions of Cubans remained without power for a third day in a row Sunday after fresh attempts to restore electricity failed overnight.

The Cuban Electrical Union said about 16% of the country had had power restored when the aging energy grid again overloaded late Saturday. Officials did not provide an update to CNN on when service would be reestablished.

More than 216,000 people in the capital of Havana, a city of two million, had power restored Sunday afternoon, according to the local state-run power company. At a news conference on Sunday, Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy said 52,000 power workers were trying to restore service but the arrival of Hurricane Oscar in eastern Cuba would likely hamper their efforts.

Later on Sunday, Cuba’s power grid collapsed again, the fourth time electricity has been lost on the island since Friday.

Hurricane Oscar made its first landfall on Inagua Island in The Bahamas, with maximum estimated sustained winds of 80 mph, according to the 5 a.m. EDT update from the National Hurricane Center on Sunday.