Sri Lanka witnesses nationwide power outage due to 'unspecified failure' at major plant

The entire nation of Sri Lanka witnessed an hours-long power cut on Monday, August 17 due to an “unspecified failure” at a major power plant. Reportedly the electricity was restored in some parts of the country only after six hours of complete blackout. However, Colombo was still in darkness. 

The state-run electricity board, Ceylon Electricity Board not only offered their ‘deepest condolences’ to all the people who were affected by the power cut but also informed that the situation is in the process of being rectified. It said, “Electrical interruptions, which were mounted nationwide, are now being completed gradually. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this.”

Source: Ceylon Electricity Board - CEB/Facebook

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Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma said that the ‘technical issue’ prevailed at the Kerawalapitiya power station just outside the capital Colombo that caused the blackout, affecting the entire nation of 21 million people. The blackout struck the island country around midday on August 17 and according to reports, it is the worst disruption since March 2016. 

Four years ago, Sri Lanka was without electricity for more than eight hours due to a huge system breakdown. Alahapperuma had also reportedly assured that required steps were underway to restore the supply. However, Colombus was still in darkness as the night fell. 

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Power cuts caused major disruptions

From hospitals shifting to power generators to chaos in congested roads of Sri Lanka, the prolonged power cut caused major disruptions in the nation. The law enforcement officers were seen struggling to maintain the key intersections because the traffic lights were not working. Meanwhile, the main airport is mostly shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka mainly generates more than half of its electricity through thermal power and the rest is acquired from hydro and wind power. The power plant, Kerawalapitiya where the technical glitch led the entire nation into darkness, is an oil-fired thermal power station with a megawatt capacity of 300. According to reports, around 12 per cent of Sri Lanka’s electricity demand is fulfilled by the plant. 

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Image: AP