Power breakdown hits several areas of Karachi as transmission line trips

KARACHI, SEPT 1: Several areas of Karachi faced power outages on Wednesday which were caused by the tripping of an extra high tension (EHT) transmission line in Sindh's Jamshoro district, K-Electric said.

K-Electric, the utility company responsible for electricity supply in the metropolis, initially said it had received reports of power outages from multiple areas and was "actively monitoring" the situation.

Several residents also shared messages on Twitter reporting outages in their areas.

In an update, K-Electric said power supply to Karachi was disrupted due to the tripping of an EHT transmission line in Jamshoro which caused a disconnection between the circuits of KE and the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC).

However, KE's power plants were operating in island mode which enabled swift restoration of power while the power connection between KE and NTDC circuits was also restored, it said in the update.

The Ministry of Energy said lightning struck the Jamshoro grid station at 4:09pm today (Wednesday) which damaged its isolator related to the circuits of the 220kV Jamshoro-Tando Mohammad Khan line.

The circuits were restored at 4:46pm, it added.

All KE teams were on "high alert" and were making efforts to restore electricity supply, a spokesperson for the company said.

Supply restored at 68 grid stations

In another update, KE said the electricity supply at 68 grid stations in the metropolis was restored. Power was restored in several localities of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Federal B Area and North Karachi, Surjani Town, Malir, Baldia Town, Liaquatabad, Korangi, North Nazimabad, Gizri and Defence Housing Authority (DHA), it shared.

A similar breakdown occurred in Karachi in May after a high-tension transmission line of 220 kV tripped, affecting the supply of electricity to the associated grids.

A massive power breakdown took place at the start of the year, plunging the entire country into darkness.

The blackout was reported a little before midnight of January 10 by citizens on social media from across the country, including major urban centres such as Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Multan, as well as smaller towns and cities.

Power was restored to most parts of the country by the evening.

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