KARACHI, July 2: Power riots broke out in the city as the transmission and distribution system of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation collapsed on Wednesday.

The failure of the KESC to restore power for more than 14 hours forced the people to come out of their homes and staged a protest against the poor performance of the power utility.

The dejected people took to the streets in Ranchore Line, Ramaswami, Nishter Road, Lasbella, Gulistan Colony in Lyari, Agra Taj Colony, Bihar Colony, Mirza Adam Khan Road, Nazimabad, Rizvia Society, Pak Colony, North Nazimabad, New Karachi’s sectors 5-D and 5-G, and Baloch Para in Jamshed Quarters’ area.

Police reached the spot and baton charged the people to disperse them after they had blocked road and lit bonfires which caused hindrance to the movement of vehicles on various road.

The worst-hit area was Pak Colony (Old Golimar) where the power supply was suspended around 3pm on Tuesday and was restored after 22 hours.

Residents of the area started gathering on the main road of Pak Colony — from Bara Board to Lovelane bridge — around 8am as they passed a sleepless night due to continuous power failure in their area and were angry with the KESC.

They began pelting moving vehicles with stones including cars, minibuses, and buses, and lit old tyres and wooden boxes on the road.

Most of the protesters were either children or women, who protested against the inept performance of the power utility. Some agitating youths dragged the damaged cars parked along the road to the middle of it and set them on fire. The protesters also pelted traffic lights with stones.

A woman said: “Intermittent power failure is a routine in my locality and now the interval of the power failure is continuously stretching. The president, Pervez Musharraf, should hold a high-level inquiry against the army officials, running the affairs of the sinking KESC.”

The police reached the spot to control the situation but a large number of police officials were deputed on the roads for the security of the prime minister visiting the metropolis, a senior police official said. However, the remaining personnel were sent to control the law and order situation. Agitating people also pelted the police vehicles with stones and even damaged the vehicle of the SITE town police officer. However, the Rangers merely looked on as the protesters went on rampage.

Police had to resort to teargas shelling and baton-charge to disperse the people, who ran into narrow lanes. They kept on pelting the police vehicles with stones and the hide-and-seek continued till 1pm, after the supply of electricity was restored.

People in Ranchore Lines came on Nishter Road and blocked the traffic as they lit bonfires and pelted the moving vehicles with stones. They were demanding restoration of electricity supply in their areas. The police reached the spot and baton-charged the people, who later dispersed as the power was restored in their area.

An unruly mob took to the street in Agra Taj Colony in Lyari town as the people were upset due to perpetual power failure in their area. They lit bonfires and pelted the vehicles with stones. The police reached the situation and by that time, the power was restored and the people dispersed.

Similar riots also occurred in Rizvia Society, New Karachi, North Nazimabad, Adamjee Complex in Quaidabad, Baloch Para in Jamshed Quarters and other areas, where the people staged a protest demonstration against the KESC.