Children in Puerto Rico have had to live much of their life in the dark since Hurricane Maria devastated the island nearly four months ago.
The lack of power can be particularly hard for schoolchildren trying to learn with the sweltering heat of the Caribbean and no air conditioning. But the wait for electricity recently ended for Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo (ABPN), a private school in San Juan.
A video of teachers running out of classrooms in disbelief and students jumping and screaming in celebration of getting back power back after 112 days was posted on the school’s Facebook page last week.
“After 112 days, THE POWER IS BACK!” the school wrote in the video caption. “Undisputed joy from all of us who make up ABPN. We thank all of the parents, students and staff who have stayed and continued to support us throughout this situation.”
Hurricane Maria knocked out most of the U.S. territory’s decades-old power grid in September, leaving millions of citizens without electricity to run homes, hospitals or schools. While some areas have gradually started getting power again, according to government data, at least 36 percent of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority subscribers are still without electricity.
ABPN’s bittersweet video went viral this week, and people have noted how truly heartbreaking the joyous video is when you think of what the kids and teachers have gone through.
Watch the viral video above.
This story has been updated to include more detailed information about Puerto Rico’s electricity generation.
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