KARACHI, April 7: People from various residential and commercial areas complained of prolonged and intermittent power suspensions on Saturday. Electricity failures lasting hours were reported from Bath Island, Clifton, Defence Housing Authority, PECHS, Bahadurabad, Gulshan Iqbal, Federal B. Area, Nazimabad, Saddar and Lyari.

A complainant from Power House I.I Chundrigar Road said electricity in the area was suspended at 12.45pm and restored at 4.40pm.

“The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation said it is a one hour load shedding and supply will be restored, but power remained suspended for more than 3 hours” he said.

A resident of Ittehad Town said power supply to the locality was suspended early in the morning and restored at 2pm. He said prolonged power break downs were routine in the area for the last two weeks.

Complainants from Korangi Crossing, Bhittai Colony said power supply to their localities were suspended early in the morning and not restored till 7.45pm. They also criticised the KESC staff at helpline 118 for not responding to consumers’ calls.

A resident of Pathan Colony Banaras said power supply to the locality was regularly suspended for hours long with short intervals.

He said the people were mostly from low income group and unable to make alternate arrangements for light. He asked the KESC authorities to notify schedule for observing the load shedding.

Complaints of prolonged break down were also received from Model Colony and adjacent localities.

A KESC official said due to a major fault in the grid station near the airport, five feeders tripped, which caused power disruption from 3pm to 5pm in different localities.