Localised power outage after contractor cable strike on Devil’s Tower Road

A localised power outage occurred on Thursday evening after a contractor struck an underground electricity cable on Devil’s Tower Road.

The works were being carried out by AMCO, subcontracted by Situs. Although plans were in place before the works began, the contractor drilled through a live cable, causing a temporary loss of supply in the surrounding area.

The Government has expressed concern over the incident. Earlier this month, it published legislation introducing a new offence for damaging electrical infrastructure, carrying fines of up to £100,000 in addition to the cost of repairs incurred by the Gibraltar Electricity Authority.

The Electricity Infrastructure (Damage) Bill 2025 will now be certified as urgent and considered by Parliament on November 5, 2025.

The Minister for Public Utilities, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: “This was an entirely avoidable incident. The contractor had plans for the site, yet still drilled through a live cable, causing unnecessary disruption as well as the possibility of harm for the individual drilling through the cable. As the taxpayer would expect, we are already speaking to the contractor to recover the costs for the damage.”

“The Government has spent millions to modernise Gibraltar’s power station and grid, and it is simply unacceptable for contractors to damage cables, especially when they have been clearly told where those cables are located.”

“Having discussed the matter with the Chief Minister, the Bill I published earlier this month will now be considered as emergency legislation on November 5, 2025, to strengthen our ability to hold contractors accountable and to better protect Gibraltar’s critical infrastructure.”