Move FM Global News

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – A massive power failure has plunged the entire Southeast Asian country of Pakistan, and its population of 212 million, into darkness.

The national blackout has hit the capital Islamabad, the country’s most-populated city Karachi, and other major cities including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Multan, Quetta, Faisalabad, Muzaffargarh, Narowal, Bhakkar, Kabirwala, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Sukkur and parts of Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

The blackout was caused by the breakdown of the main supply line on Saturday night, causing not only power failure, but disruption to broadband, and mobile phone networks.

A 500kVA transmission line tripped Geo News said in a report, adding that Jhelum, Tarbela, and Mangla power plants are out of action.

“We are trying to diagnose the technical issue behind the dip in line frequency,” Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan said in a statement posted on Twitter. “The frequency in the power distribution system suddenly dropped from 50 to 0 which caused the blackout.”

“We are trying to ascertain what caused the drop in frequency,” the energy minister said.

“We are trying to reinstate Tarbela power plant which will gradually restore power supply to the country,” he said.

The minister said he was personally overseeing the diagnosis and the (phased) restoration of power.

Back-up generators have had to be deployed at the nation’s airports and at hospitals, essential services, and government buildings including courts, the residences of the president, and prime minister.

It is one of the largest nationwide power failures in Pakistan’s history, commensurate with that which occurred in January 2015.