WILLEMSTAD - Due to a fire in a transformer at the Isla refinery, the power went out on Curaçao on Monday. This happened slightly after 10 a.m. local time.

After three hours, the electricity company Aqualectra announced that the island will be able to have full power again within four to six hours. Earlier it indicated that everything would be resolved quickly. But that didn't work.

Various companies, schools and shops have closed their doors due to the outage. Traffic in a large part of Willemstad was also a chaos because the traffic lights don't work.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. The last time the island was hit by an overall blackout was in 2006.