Millions in Pakistan in Nationwide Blackout as Grid Fails
Spokesman Report
ISLAMABAD: Parts of the country including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Quetta plunged into darkness as a high-tension electricity supply line between Quetta and Guddu caused a major power breakdown.
A power outage hit 22 districts of Balochistan, including Quetta, Islamabad, Lahore, cities in Multan region, Karachi and others around 7:35 am.
In Islamabad, the electricity supply to 117 grid stations has been suspended. The Islamabad Electric Supply Company said they are in contact with the regional control centre.
In Lahore, consumers in areas of Mall Road, Kanal Road and other areas are facing a disruption in power supply. Officials said they are investigating the matter.
People from different cities thronged to social media to report the electricity failure.
The extreme shortfall in electricity generation said to be major cause of the power breakdown that hit various parts of the country, citing sources, ARY News reported.
Power generation was lower than 7,000 megawatts, this morning, well-placed sources said.”There was upto 6,000 megawatts”.
“Hydel power generation in the country goes down to 90 percent, while thermal power generation by 70 pct,” according to sources.
Over 12 power plants have been already shutdown over various technical faults, sources shared. “Guddu, Jamshoro, Muzaffargarh power plants were not running”. “Neelum-Jhelum power project of 969 megawatt, has been shut down for last eight months owing to technical problems,” sources said.
Karachi’s situation: Several areas of Karachi were plunged into darkness after a massive power breakdown hit the country due to “frequency variation” in the national grid.
The areas affected included North Nazimabad, New Karachi, North Karachi, Liaquatabad, Clifton, Korangi, Orangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Saddar, Old City Area, Landhi, Gulisan-e-Jauhar, Malir, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Site Industrial Zone, Pak Colony, Shah Faisal Colony, Model Colony and other areas.
| PM Shehbaz orders probe into major power outage in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday formed a high-level committee to investigate the power breakdown in the country. Taking notice of the blackout, the premier sought a report from Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir on reasons that led to the major electricity crisis in the country. He also asked him to pinpoint the officials who had showed negligence. Ordering immediate restoration of power supply, he said such incidents would not be tolerated. Pakistan s national grid suffered a major breakdown on Monday, the power ministry said, leaving millions of people without electricity for the second time in three months and highlighting the infrastructural weakness of this heavily indebted nation. |