Belize City was plunged into an afternoon-long blackout all because of a tree that fell unto a transmission line in the Lake Independence area. A small event but it cast a wide net, cutting power across the city including at the Radisson where over a dozen CARICOM Prime Ministers, Presidents and Premiers had to hold their afternoon meeting with sea breeze ventilation as the generator at the Radisson does not run the air conditioner.

A big headache for BEL and just about everyone else, and the problem wasn’t isolated until after three and power was not restored to all of the city until a few minutes before 6:00. A release from BEL explained that the area where the tree fell unto the line was swampy and that made it difficult for work crews to access it.