Venezuela power station blast adds to sense of chaos

CARACAS, Venezuela — An explosion rocked a power station in the Venezuelan capital early Monday, witnesses said, adding to the crisis created by days of nationwide power cuts.

Flames rose overnight from the electrical facility in the Baruta area of Caracas. The blast contributed to a sense of chaos among Venezuelans already struggling with an economic crisis and a bitter political standoff.

Residents in Baruta gathered on a footbridge with a clear view of charred, smoldering transformers and electrical equipment.

Opposition leader Juan Guaidó said three of four electricity transformers servicing the area were knocked out and that state engineers were unable to fix them. The U.S.