Nationwide power blackout

Agencies Published February 25, 2013
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani commuters driving on a street in a residential area during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani commuters driving on a street in a residential area during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani youth crossing a street during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. ? AFP Photo
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani youth crossing a street during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. ? AFP Photo
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani people drinking tea outside a restaurant during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani people drinking tea outside a restaurant during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani man preparing tea at his restaurant during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. ? AFP Photo
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani man preparing tea at his restaurant during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. ? AFP Photo
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows a homeless Pakistani man sleeping on a roadside during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows a homeless Pakistani man sleeping on a roadside during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows an aerial view of buildings and homes during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. ? AFP Photo
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows an aerial view of buildings and homes during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. ? AFP Photo
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani commuters driving on a street in a residential area during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows Pakistani commuters driving on a street in a residential area during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows an aerial view of buildings and homes during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. ? AFP Photo
This picture taken on February 24, 2013 shows an aerial view of buildings and homes during a nationwide power blackout in Karachi. Pakistan was hit by a nationwide blackout for more than two hours after the breakdown of a major plant caused power stations to stop working across the country, officials said on February 25. ? AFP Photo

Power was slowly being restored on Monday in different parts of Pakistan, including in areas in Karachi and Quetta, following a widespread, countrywide breakdown on Sunday night, DawnNews reported.

The breakdown occurred at about 11:45pm on Sunday, cutting off power supply to most of the country, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta and Azad Kashmir.

Power began to be restored on Monday morning with electricity supply resuming in some parts of Karachi and Quetta as well as in other areas of the country.

Speaking during a press conference in Islamabad, Secretary Water and Power Rai Sikandar said 5,000MW of electricity had reentered the system, enabling the restoration of electricity supply across Pakistan.

Moreover, he said the breakdown was caused when the Hubco Power Plant tripped due to a technical failure and other power plants were shut down in order to prevent any damage to their respective systems, thus leaving more than half the country in darkness.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf ordered an investigation into the matter. — Photos and text by Agencies

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Comments (3) Closed
Adnan
Feb 25, 2013 08:47am
We pakistanis are used to power breakdowns and nervous break downs :)
Recommend 0
arishsahani
Feb 26, 2013 12:54pm
Chinese at work.
Recommend 0
Siddiqi
Feb 26, 2013 12:29am
Power System blackouts do happen in developed countries as well. NTDC need to make a fresh power system study as well as a protective relay coordination study and to devise an operational strategy ( preferably operating the system in island modes) to ensure that the power system faults in one part of the system do not easily trip the adjoining operational systems.(islands). Another important consideration should be the emergency response strategy in place and clear procedures should be outlined for the system operators to restore the system in the minimum possible time. As I see in the press today, the response and the restoration time was not unusual long. I think the System Operation engineers are to be commended.
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