Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Indonesian National Police INP)’s Criminal Investigation Agency confirmed Monday (25/5/2026) that no sabotage was involved in the mass blackout that struck Sumatra on 22 May 2026.
“Up to now, we can confirm there is no indication of sabotage or deliberate action in the blackout,” said Deputy Chief of the Criminal Investigation Agency Inspector General Nunung Syaifuddin, as quoted by antaranews.com.
A joint team from the INP and state electricity company PLN inspected transmission towers in Muara Jambi, where a 275 kV line between Muara Bungo and Sungai Rumbai was disrupted. Investigators found a severed transmission cable but no structural damage to the towers. Early findings suggest extreme weather triggered the failure.
Witnesses reported hearing an explosion before the outage. PLN confirmed the system was operating normally before the incident, with significant power flow through Jambi’s transmission corridor. The blackout cascaded across Sumatra’s grid, cutting supply to millions.
Police said the cable damage appeared frayed, consistent with weather-related failure rather than deliberate cutting. Samples are being analyzed at the INP Forensics Laboratory for scientific confirmation.
(mg/inp/pr/rs)
