SUKKUR, June 28: Power supply to Sukkur, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Larkana and other cities and towns of upper Sindh and some parts of Balochistan has not been restored despite the lapse of 48 hours.

More than 50 people, including women and children, fell unconscious in upper Sindh and Balochistan due to sizzling heat. The sub-engineer, operation, Sukkur, Sadoro Shaikh, told this correspondent that 12 more hours were required to restore supply of electricity to the entire upper Sindh and parts of Balochistan.

The prolonged power breakdown led to protest demonstrations in affected areas. The protesters pelted stones at Hesco offices which forced company officers to leave the offices.

Mr Shaikh said the electricity breakdown had occurred due to uprooting of four 132kv power towers in Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Kandhkot and Thul in a heavy dust storm and rain on Saturday.

He said arrangements had been made to supply power to the affected areas on rotation basis from City, Site and Arain grid stations, Sukkur. He said an eight to 12 hours load-shedding was being observed in the affected areas. He said local Hesco officers had been asked to make an announcement in this regard.

However, people of Larkana, Jacobabad and Shikarpur said power was being supplied only to posh areas and around 200 villages and small towns were without electricity for 48 hours.

The Hesco official said Sukkur Hesco chief engineer Yahya Bashir was supervising the repair work in the affected areas where an emergency had been declared. He said he had been informed that the power towers in Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Kandhkot and Thul had been erected and now 132kv conductors were being installed.

Hesco technical staff, including line superintendents and linemen, said they were short of equipment, including vehicles with ladders, torches and other material, which was hampering the repair work.

The protest demonstrations were held in Sukkur, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Kandhkot, Thul and other areas. In Sukkur, hundreds of people held a demonstration in front of the Hesco sub-division-I office.

Residents of Jacobabad held a demonstration and staged a sit-in on the Indus Highway. They raised slogans against Hesco officials. The power breakdown has also caused shortage of water in the affected areas.