Power outage paralyzes three areas in Vienna for more than four hours
A major power outage hit Vienna on Thursday afternoon, leaving large parts of the city without electricity for more than four hours and severely disrupting daily life during the busy evening rush hour.
The blackout affected parts of the city center as well as the districts of Landstraße and Wieden. Electricity was cut off suddenly at 3:47 p.m., and power only began to return gradually at around 8:19 p.m., according to official information.
Homes, shops, and public institutions were left without electricity, forcing many residents to return home in darkness. Business and service activities in the affected areas were significantly disrupted, adding to the confusion across the city.
Traffic was among the hardest hit sectors, as several traffic lights stopped working, especially on major roads. This led to congestion and dangerous situations, with drivers and pedestrians urged to move carefully during the evening peak hours.
Technicians from Wiener Stromnetz (Vienna Electric Grid Company) worked continuously to locate the fault and restore power. Authorities said the outage was caused by a technical malfunction, without giving further details. Electricity was fully restored later in the evening, ending one of the longest recent blackouts in the Austrian capital.