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Major power outage disrupts Cannes Film Festival as police investigate arson

A significant power outage hit southeastern France on Saturday morning, causing concern for the closing celebrations of the Cannes Film Festival, including the highly anticipated Palme d’Or ceremony. Authorities have launched an investigation into possible arson as the cause of the outage.

Fortunately, power was restored just in time for the ceremony around 3 p.m. local time, with music resuming from beachfront speakers and locals cheering in relief. The outage affected about 160,000 households in the Alpes-Maritimes department after a high-voltage line fell due to a fire at an electrical substation near Cannes.

French police are actively pursuing those responsible for the damage to the electrical infrastructure. Laurent Hottiaux, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes department, condemned the acts as serious and assured that all resources are being utilized to apprehend the culprits.

Despite the setback, organizers of the Cannes Film Festival confirmed that the events and screenings, including the Closing Ceremony, would proceed as planned with the Palais des Festivals switching to an independent power supply. The cause of the outage is still under investigation, and restoration efforts are ongoing.

The outage led to traffic disruptions in Cannes and Antibes, with traffic lights out and shops closed along the Croisette. Train services were also affected, causing further inconvenience. Screenings at the Cineum venue were briefly halted due to the power outage.

The Palme d’Or, the festival’s most prestigious award, was scheduled to be presented that evening, with top contenders such as Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident,” Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent,” and Óliver Laxe’s “Sirât” vying for the coveted prize. Despite the challenges posed by the outage, the festival continued to celebrate the best of international cinema.

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