Sri Lanka’s entire territory experienced a seven-hour blackout after a central technical malfunction occurred at the country’s main power facility.
Electricity Minister Dullas Allasiperuma said an unspecified technical problem at the Kerawalapitiya power complex outside the capital Colombo was the cause of the blackout.
This has an impact on a total of 21 million citizens of the country.
Power was restored in the capital after seven hours.
However, several other parts of the island nation have not reconnected.
This was the worst power disruption since March 2016, when the entire region experienced a power cut for more than eight hours due to a massive system failure.
Reported by The Guardian, the public utility regulator said it would carry out an investigation into the technical error.
Authorities will also give the country’s electricity manager, Ceylon Electricity Board, three days to clear up the disruption.
The blackout caused chaos on the congested streets of Colombo as traffic lights did not operate.
As a result, the police had to struggle to manage the main intersection.
The water supply is also affected because there is no electricity turning on the pumps.
The main airports have been mostly closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sri Lanka generates more than half of its electricity through thermal power. The rest comes from hydropower and wind.
Kerawalapitiya is an oil-fired thermal power plant, with a capacity of 300 megawatts which is equivalent to about 12 percent of the country’s electricity needs.
