Seventy percent of Cuba's population has power again as the island recovers from a nationwide blackout and a hurricane that left seven people dead, the government said Tuesday.

Cuba's capital was partially illuminated Monday night after a massive blackout that has generated a handful of protests and a stern government warning that any unrest will be punished.

Electricity outages have paralyzed an already-crippled economy, leading to shortages of everything from cash to running water.

Many Cubans waited in anguish late Sunday as electricity on much of the island had yet to be restored days after an island-wide blackout. Their concerns were heightened as Hurricane Oscar slammed into Cuba’s eastern coast,

The electrical grid's failure came a day after top government officials addressed the nation about energy infrastructure problems.

Photos emerging from Cuba show not only the unrest, but residents continuing to lives their lives even amid the indefinite power outages.

The repeated failure of the power grid and a hurricane that has swamped the island’s eastern end has many Cubans fed up, posing a challenge to the Communist government.

Cuba's power-grid operator said it had restored electricity to most of the capital Havana on Monday even as Tropical Storm Oscar lashed the island's eastern end, downing trees and power lines. Strong winds raked the region as the storm stalled over land,