CARACAS, March 12. /TASS/. Power supplies have been restored to most of Venezuela, the country’s Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"I assure you that electricity supplies were restored to most of the country by noon (16:00 GMT) on March 12," he said.

The minister pointed out that "in a few hours, water supplies will be restored to Caracas," Rodriguez added.

Power outage

Caracas and 20 of the country’s 23 regions were initially left without electricity on March 7. The National Electric Company said the blackout had been caused by an accident at the Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Plant, which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blamed on "US imperialism." However, the US Department of State denied any involvement.

Electricity began to be gradually restored across Venezuela on the night of March 8 but the situation worsened later following reports about an explosion at an electric substation located on the outskirts of the city of Ciudad Bolivar.

According to Maduro, the country’s law enforcement agencies have arrested two people suspected of being involved in attacks on Venezuela’s electricity grid.