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Maui Electric Co. is trying to determine the cause a large power outage that affected 32,000 customers from Lahaina to Kula, including the Kaahumanu Shopping Center.
The outage Friday afternoon interrupted the showing the new Star Wars movie at theatres, the Maui News reported.
Firefighters responded to several alarms, including four cases of people trapped in elevators. Three of the incidents happened at the Kaahumanu Shopping Center and another incident happened on Front Street in Lahaina.
The outage happened at about 3:20 p.m. when a problem at two substations in Waiinu and Kahului caused an automatic shutdown of electrical service in different areas of the island to avoid a more widespread outage or system damage, a Maui Electric Co. spokeswoman said in an email.
Most customers in Lahaina, Kahului, Wailuku to Kahakuloa, Paia, Haiku and Kula had power restored by 4 p.m. All customers had service restored by 4:56 p.m.
Firefighters also responded to reports or electrical arching at a transfer station in Waiinu and Waiale roads.
And No, Hawaii is not a third world country.
But if we work hard we may get there some day.