Leeuwarden, 25 August 2025 — Large parts of Leeuwarden and nearby villages were hit by a sudden power cut on Monday afternoon after a vessel carrying a crane struck overhead high-voltage lines along the Van Harinxmakanaal near Franeker. According to initial reports, the crane made contact with the transmission span, snapping one line and severely damaging another.
Grid operator TenneT confirmed that tens of thousands of connections went dark, with early estimates ranging from roughly 25,000 to 30,000 affected customers. Engineers moved to isolate the damaged section and reroute supply, warning that full restoration could take hours as safety checks and repairs progressed.
The outage rippled through city infrastructure. Traffic signals failed across several junctions, and provincial bridge operations were suspended, leaving dozens of movable bridges temporarily out of service. Municipal teams closed some facilities and deployed staff to manage traffic where possible until power returned.
Emergency services escalated the response to GRIP-1 to coordinate between police, fire, the municipality and the grid operator. Authorities reported no injuries from the cable strike. The affected waterway near Kiesterzijl remained restricted while inspectors assessed the mast and lines, and while investigators gathered details about the vessel involved.
Residents were advised to unplug sensitive electronics, keep refrigerator doors closed, and use alternative routes where bridge closures caused delays. Updates from the grid operator and local broadcasters indicated that power was being progressively restored into the evening.
