(Bloomberg) -- Venezuela’s government blamed “extremists” for an explosion at a natural gas plant in eastern Venezuela that has left most of Margarita Island in the dark for days.
Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, who is also the Energy Minister, said the Nov. 11 pipeline blast was one of a series of attacks targeting facilities that supply 80% of the nation’s natural gas. Eleven suspects have been detained in connection with the events, Rodríguez said Monday on state TV.
Rodríguez didn’t provide any evidence that the blast had been caused by sabotage. She said she could not provide a date for the restoration of power.
Local media reported power outages of as long as 20 hours in Margarita. Two gas-fired power plants on the island are are supplied by the inland plant where the blast occurred.
Rodríguez said the fire had cost the nation more than $200 million in missed production, while state oil company PDVSA said in a statement that at least five people had been injured.
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