Pakistan power cut: Major cities without electricity after grid breakdown

Pakistan suffered a immense powerfulness chopped aboriginal connected Monday pursuing a breakdown successful its nationalist energy grid, the vigor ministry said.

Power was retired successful each the country's large cities, including the biggest metropolis Karachi, the superior Islamabad arsenic good arsenic Lahore and Peshawar.

Power curate Khurrum Dastagir said the grid nonaccomplishment followed a "frequency variation" successful confederate Pakistan.

He insisted this was "not a large crisis" and powerfulness would beryllium backmost soon.

In a statement. the vigor ministry said that astatine astir 07:30 section clip (02:30 GMT) the grid "experienced a nonaccomplishment of frequency, that caused a large breakdown", adding that "swift work" was taking spot to revive the system.

Some grids successful the state had already been restored and powerfulness would beryllium afloat restored successful 12 hours, Mr Dastagir told Geo TV.

"In winter, the request for energy reduces nationwide, hence, arsenic an economical measure, we temporarily adjacent down our powerfulness procreation systems astatine night," helium said.

When they were turned connected successful the morning, "frequency saltation and voltage fluctuation" were observed successful confederate Pakistan "somewhere betwixt Dadu and Jamshoro" and subsequently "power generating units unopen down 1 by one", helium told the TV channel.

Earlier this period the authorities has ordered buying centres and markets to adjacent aboriginal each time to prevention wealth connected power.

Pakistan's reserves of overseas currency person been falling and the state generates astir of its powerfulness utilizing imported fossil fuels.

Global vigor prices jumped past year, putting further unit connected the country's already dwindling finances.