Monkey triggers nationwide power outage in Sri Lanka

A monkey has caused a nationwide power outage in Sri Lanka.

The primate came in contact with an electrical grid transformer in the southern suburbs of Colombo, officials say.

"An incident in which a monkey came in contact with a grid transformer caused the outage," Sri Lankan power and energy minister Kumara Jayakody told local media.

He said that the mishap disrupted the electrical grid, triggering a nationwide power outage that lasted for several hours before power was restored.

The outage began around 11:30 am local time and continued until 5:30 pm.

Authorities are investigating how a transformer failure at a single substation could have led to a nationwide power disruption.

While monkeys occasionally cause local grid issues, it is rare for such incidents to result in a prolonged nationwide blackout.

Sri Lanka has faced severe power crises in recent years, particularly during the peak of its economic crisis in 2022.

Widespread blackouts were among the key issues that fuelled mass protests, ultimately leading to the ousting of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2022.

Although economic conditions have improved following Sri Lanka's $US3 billion ($A4.8 billion) bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund in 2023, the country remains vulnerable amid ongoing economic uncertainty.