Major power failure hits Greenland’s Nuuk, social media sparks ‘Trump invasion incoming?’ rumours

Nuuk, Greenland: Social media posts claiming a major power outage in Nuuk have raised alarm across the city, with authorities confirming disruptions and urging residents to take precautions amid freezing temperatures.

Nukissiorfiit, the government-owned public utility responsible for electricity and water in Greenland, announced in a Facebook post, “Due to an accident, there is a power failure throughout the city. Nukissiorfiit is working on regenerating power withan  emergency generator.”

The outage reportedly affects around 19,000 residents, leaving critical infrastructure compromised. State provider Nukissiorfiit is attempting to switch to emergency diesel generators, but the grid remains unstable.

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A social media post describing the situation said, “A major power outage has plunged Nuuk into darkness following an unspecified ‘accident’ at the main utility facility, leaving 19,000 residents without electricity. State provider Nukissiorfiit is attempting to switch to emergency diesel generators, but the grid remains unstable. Critical infrastructure is failing, with police phone lines down and the internet disrupted. Authorities urge residents to visit stations physically for emergencies as temperatures drop below freezing.”

The internet is also affected. Cybersecurity tracker NetBlocks posted, “Confirmed: Metrics show a significant decline to internet connectivity in #Greenland with high impact to capital Nuuk. The incident comes amid reports of a city-wide power outage attributed by energy company Nukissiorfiit to an ‘accident’.”

The blackout comes at a politically sensitive time. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly described Greenland as strategically vital to US national security. Over recent months, he warned Denmark, which administers Greenland, that failure to reach an agreement could result in Washington using military force to take control of the territory.

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Trump had previously announced 10 per cent tariffs on seven European Union countries and the United Kingdom, citing the Greenland dispute as the reason. The tariffs were later withdrawn after a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Davos, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. Trump said a framework for a Greenland agreement benefiting both Europe and the US would be unveiled soon.

The president first raised the idea of acquiring Greenland after taking office, and his rhetoric has intensified in recent weeks. Over the weekend, he threatened a 10 per cent tariff on eight European countries, a move that unsettled investors. During a speech at Davos on Wednesday, Trump continued to press the issue, before meeting the head of NATO and announcing plans for a new agreement, though the details remain undefined.