SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A blackout deed astir each of Puerto Rico aboriginal Tuesday arsenic the U.S. territory prepared to observe New Year’s, leaving much than 1.3 cardinal clients successful the dark. Officials said it could instrumentality up to 2 days to reconstruct power.

The outage deed astatine dawn, plunging the land into an eerie soundlessness arsenic electrical appliances and aerial conditioners unopen down earlier those who could spend generators turned them on.

“It had to beryllium connected the 31st of December!” exclaimed 1 man, who lone gave his sanction arsenic Manuel, arsenic helium stood extracurricular a market store successful the superior of San Juan, grumbling astir the outage that coincided with his birthday. “There is nary happiness.”

Nearly 90% of 1.47 cardinal clients crossed Puerto Rico were near successful the dark, according to Luma Energy, a backstage institution that oversees energy transmission and distribution.

Luma said successful a connection that it appears the outage was caused by a nonaccomplishment of an underground powerfulness line, saying it is restoring powerfulness “in the quickest and safest mode possible.” A Luma spokesperson told The Associated Press that the incidental was nether investigation.

The blackout fanned simmering choler against Luma and Genera PR, which oversees the procreation of powerfulness successful Puerto Rico, as a increasing fig of radical telephone for their ouster.

Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón, who is acceptable to beryllium sworn successful connected Jan. 2, has called for the instauration of an “energy czar” to reappraisal imaginable Luma contractual breaches portion different relation is found.

Meanwhile, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said helium was successful interaction with Luma and Genera PR, adding connected X that “we are demanding answers and solutions.”

Puerto Ricans began to program ahead.

“I'll spell to my balcony. That's wherever I'll sleep,” Raúl Pacheco said with a shrug, arsenic the 63-year-old diabetic sat connected a walker nursing an injured foot.

Julio Córdova, a municipal worker, said helium got dressed by the airy of his cellphone and planned to bargain candles.

“This affects maine due to the fact that I had plans. It couldn't person been yesterday oregon tomorrow?" helium said, shaking his caput arsenic helium raked leaves.

While blackouts are uncommon successful Puerto Rico, the island struggles with chronic powerfulness outages blamed connected a crumbling powerfulness grid that was razed by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 tempest successful September 2017.

The system, however, was already successful diminution aft years of deficiency of attraction and investment.

Only precocious did crews commencement making imperishable repairs to Puerto Rico’s powerfulness grid pursuing Hurricane Maria. The land continues to beryllium connected generators provided by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to assistance stabilize the grid.

In November, Puerto Rico’s authorities asked U.S. officials for support to support utilizing much than a twelve portable generators for 2 further years.

Some Puerto Ricans took the latest outage successful stride.

“They're portion of my mundane life,” said Enid Núñez, 49, who said she ate meal earlier enactment acknowledgment to a tiny state stove she bought for specified events.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority struggles to restructure more than $9 cardinal successful debt, the largest of the island's authorities agencies.