An investigation by Belco into the causes of two separate electricity outages in recent weeks that put thousands of homes in the dark continues the power utility has admitted.

The utility is looking into a fault at its Belmont substation on May 10 that hit nearly 11,000 homes across the western parishes for about three hours.

Another blackout on June 5, caused by what was described as a “load shed” at the power plant, knocked out electricity for roughly 11,000 for about 20 minutes, with 800 customers in St George’s losing their lights for about an hour.

Shelly Leman, the Belco managing director, said: “Recent outages, including the event caused by an underground transmission cable fault and a load shed on the network, are being treated with the seriousness they deserve, and both remain under investigation.

“A dedicated team has been assembled, and a full analysis is currently under way to determine the root cause of each event.”

She added: “I also want to remind the public that the single largest cause of outages on our network is vegetation coming into contact with power lines. Overgrown trees and branches near lines remain one of the most preventable sources of disruption.

“I encourage customers to trim trees on their property that sit close to power lines, and to contact Belco before carrying out any work near power lines so it can be done safely.”