Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

Elderly Woman Pokes Cable, Cuts Internet Access in Three Countries

This article is over 13 years old and may contain outdated information
image

A senior citizen inadvertently cut the internet access of three countries while digging with a spade shovel.

Some citizens of the former Soviet Union make money by digging for unused copper cables and selling them as scrap. A 75-year-old woman from Georgia was doing just that when she accidentally hit and damaged a fiber-optic cable, cutting off internet access for millions of people in three different countries.

The Guardian reports that the woman did the deed with a simple spade shovel. Georgia provides 90% of neighboring Armenia’s internet, so her mistake left 3.2 million citizens of the country without internet access. In addition, areas of Georgia and Azerbaijan were also taken offline.

A system monitoring damage notified authorities who arrived shortly after the woman hit the cable. They arrested her on suspicion of damaging property, but she was temporarily released for “old age.” She could face up to three years in prison.

The cable is reportedly “heavily protected,” but may have been exposed due to landslides, rain, or other natural factors. I’m going to go ahead and say that if a 75-year-old digging with a dinky shovel could damage it, it wasn’t “heavily protected,” unless I’m missing something here. Then again, maybe the woman had been playing a lot of Minecraft.

Thanks for the tip Stevey M!

Source: Guardian

Recommended Videos

The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy