Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by Jessica Saltz

Script:

Residents of Puerto Rico are preparing for the possibility of an Easter weekend with no electricity.

This is the latest in a string of chronic power outages to hit the island in recent years.

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL AFFECTED BY POWER OUTAGE, HENSLY VASZQUEZ, SAYING:
"It's regrettable, right? In a country that promotes economic progress and all these important things for development, we still face power outages."

The frustration is shared by business owners.

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL AFFECTED BY POWER OUTAGE, JENNIFER QUINONES, SAYING:
"Today, I had to close the gym due to the lack of electricity, for safety reasons. I had to cancel all afternoon sessions."

All of the island's power plants shut down unexpectedly at around midday on Wednesday...

...throwing traffic into chaos...

((++Mandatory on-screen credit Gian Cordero ))
...and leaving passengers on a train in the capital San Juan stranded.

By evening swathes of the island were in almost complete darkness.

The U-S territory has struggled to rebuild its power grid since it was destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. It has experienced several major outages in recent years.

Authorities say that the main energy company is working hard to restore power as soon as possible.