May 13, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 7, 1429

PESHAWAR, May 12: People across the provincial metropolis faced prolonged power breakdowns on Sunday night and on Monday as the electricity transmission and distribution system collapsed when unidentified miscreants blew up a 500-KV pylon near the Sheikh Mohammadi Grid Station and a police checkpost in Badhber area at 1:40am early Monday.

Narrating the cause of disruption of power supply a Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) spokesperson said that 500-KV tower was completely blown up in a blast. Police have registered a case against unidentified persons.

He said that Pesco technical staff had reached the site and were trying to restore the power supply as soon as possible. However, the spokesperson said that the reinstallation of the tower may take days and even weeks as it was not an ordinary pole to be erected.

Another Pesco official following his visit to the site said that the local staff was unable to repair the tower as it was fully damaged and needed to be replaced.

The new material, he said was not available at the Pesco store and would be brought from Shaikhpura or Multan which would take some days.

He said that the explosion had also caused power suspension to various tribal areas and southern districts like Hangu, Karak, Tal, North Waziristan, Kurram and Orakzai agencies.

The prolonged power breakdowns at a time when the mercury has shot up have caused serious problems for the people in the entire city. The complainants said that they also faced problems due to non-supply of water, saying that water was also not available in the mosques.

A police official said that a big bang was heard at night which resulted in complete darkness in the area, adding that they were unable to determine the source of the explosion. “Later, we came to know that the pylon had been targeted and all the supply lines were lying on the ground,” the official said.