QUETTA, Nov 12: Almost half of Balochistan suffered a blackout after the main electricity transmission line originating in Guddu tripped on Wednesday night.

Officials told Dawn that the 220-KV line had tripped after a transmission pylon in Bakhtiarabad was swept away by a severe windstorm.

Authorities said that power supply to 18 of the 30 districts in the province was disrupted.

Panjgur, Gwadar and Turbat districts on the Makran coast get power from Iran, Jafferabad and Naseerabad from Wapda plants in Sindh and Lasbela district from the KESC. Loralai, Barkhan, Musakhel and Ziarat districts get power from Dera Ghazi Khan.

Wapda attributed the blackout to “a technical fault”. —Staff Correspondent