Major Power Outage Affects 20,000 Households in Central Stockholm

A significant power outage struck central Stockholm shortly after 7 PM on October 27, 2025, leaving approximately 20,000 households without electricity. The eastern parts of Södermalm, including streets like Götgatan and Folkungagatan, and large sections of Gamla stan were primarily impacted, while parts of western Södermalm near Hornstull retained power. The blackout brought traffic and street lights around Medborgarplatsen and Slussen to a standstill, contributing to disruption in the area.

Residents described the sudden loss of electricity as a sharp "poff" followed by darkness; one witness, Kerstin Folco, recounted stepping onto her balcony to find the streets completely dark, prompting people to use cellphone flashlights. The outage led to numerous calls to emergency services concerning people trapped in elevators, though the number of such seizures was not excessive. Fire service officer Henrik Jynnesjö confirmed the rescue team's ongoing efforts to assist those affected.

Ellevio, the power company responsible for the grid, identified a fault preventing the automatic switching system from functioning, necessitating manual interventions by technical personnel dispatched on-site. Jonatan Björk, an Ellevio spokesperson, noted that the failure of traffic lights could hamper the response team's progress. The company is actively investigating the root cause of the fault and projected power restoration by approximately 9:30 PM. Meanwhile, public transport, including Stockholm’s tunnels and SL services, continues to operate unhindered despite the blackout.

Alongside the outage, Ellevio’s website underwent a system update, temporarily hindering customers from accessing the outage map. The full extent and origin of the fault remain under review as Ellevio works to restore normal service conditions.