Casablanca was plunged into darkness late Wednesday afternoon, just as thousands of employees were leaving their offices. At 16:48 on November 11, 2026, an incident occurred on the extra-high-voltage (HTB) lines of the national electricity transmission network, managed by the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE). Contacted by Le360, the Casablanca-Settat Regional Multiservice Company (SRM) said the incident was caused by strong wind gusts and thunderstorms hitting the region.
The incident “led to the interruption of power supply to several SRM Casablanca-Settat source substations, serving several neighborhoods in Casablanca, including the city center, Maârif, El Fida, Aïn Chock, Ben M’sick, Sebata, Sidi Othmane and Hay Hassani, as well as some areas in Nouaceur province, including Bouskoura, Ouled Azzouz and Dar Bouazza,” the company said.
The SRM Casablanca-Settat said it had “immediately activated its crisis management system and mobilized its teams, in coordination with ONEE, to take the necessary steps to restore service” as soon as the incident occurred. It added that switching operations were also carried out on its medium-voltage network to limit the impact of the outage.
The power cut caused major disruption, particularly as it occurred during the evening rush hour. Le360 witnessed the effects of the interruption firsthand. Tram services came to a halt and traffic lights stopped working, significantly complicating traffic.
Traffic jams quickly built up along the city’s main boulevards, with some roads almost completely gridlocked. Elevators also stopped working in several buildings. Only a few establishments, including the headquarters of banks and insurance companies, remained lit. In streets plunged into darkness, ambulance sirens added to the growing concern.
Casablanca plongée dans le noir. (A.Gadouz/Le360)
