Jamaica: Power restoration reaches 90 per cent

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) says up to 90 per cent of its customers have now had their electricity restored. The light and power company says it has entered the final phase of restoration, which is likely be the most challenging as the last 10 per cent are customers mostly in communities that were worst affected by the hurricane and customers fed by power lines and infrastructure that suffered significant damage. It says customers in areas where restoration crews face access challenges due to damaged roads and roads blocked by landslides and uprooted trees, are among the 10 per cent still without electricity. Yesterday, the JPS said assessments showed that the damage caused by the passage of Hurricane Sandy on Wednesday had been greater than initially thought. President and Chief Executive Officer Kelly Tomblin, says it was still too early to give a full report on the extent of the damage to the power infrastructure.