KARACHI: Several areas of the city plunged into darkness yet again late on Sunday night as there were reports of a technical breakdown in K-Electric's transmission system. This is the fourth such breakdown affecting the metropolis in the span of one week.

According to KE officials, the blackout occurred due to the tripping of KDA Auto Transformers, causing a blackout in several areas of the city.

The blackout affected a large number of areas in the city, including Malir, DHA, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Model Colony, Nazimabad, Gulberg, Liaqatabad, Gizri, Buffer Zone, Gulshan-i-Maymar, Sohrab Goth, Ancholi and New Karachi.

The breakdown occurred due the tripping of all feeders at the Bin Qasim Power Station I and II, DawnNews quoted a KE spokesperson as saying. KE teams were making efforts to restore the feeders, they said.

Some 30 minutes after the breakdown, reports started to emerge of power being restored in some areas of the city, however, most affected areas remained without power.

A KE official earlier tweeted that the blackout was in fact a brief episode which emerged due to a technical fault, which had been fixed by KE teams.

Karachiites suffered due to three other breakdowns in the last week — on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — all of which took place late in the night.

Also read: Karachi plunges into darkness after major power breakdown

People in various localities faced hardship because of the widespread breakdown that caught them unawares, particularly at a time when Ramazan’s final days have begun and preparations for Eid are round the corner.

All power breakdowns of the past week coincided with the last Ashra (ten days) of Ramazan, during the nights of which many Muslims offer special prayers in their homes and spend time in mosques. The latest breakdown took place on the 25th night of the month of Ramazan today.

Meanwhile, there was outrage on social media in response to the power breakdowns that according to some have become a norm in the city.

Karachi’s electricity distribution system is a complex, and delicate, web and a major fault at one section often leads to chain reactions and breakdowns of power generation and transmission.