YANGON – A power blackout briefly hit Myanmar’s main urban centres and far-flung towns today, including the commercial hub here and parts of the capital Naypyidaw, said authorities and AFP correspondents.
Yangon Electricity Supply Corp reported a “temporary power outage in Yangon region today at 13:35 (0705 GMT)”, adding that it is working to restore supply.
Myanmar’s second-biggest city of Mandalay, the eastern town of Hpa-an, southern Mon state, and parts of Rakhine state in the west also lost power, residents told AFP.
Parts of the military-built capital of Naypyidaw experienced outages as well.
By 2.10pm, power had been restored, said Yangon Electricity Supply Corp in a statement.
Local media reported an official from Naypyidaw’s Electricity Department as saying the national grid suffered a “system breakdown”, without elaborating.
Blackouts are common in Myanmar due to a creaky and outdated electricity grid, with demand regularly outstripping supply during the sweltering summer months.
The country has been in turmoil since a February 1 military coup that ousted the government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Yangon’s state-backed electricity provider warned residents in July that supply could be disrupted if they continued refusing to pay their power bills – part of an ongoing boycott of junta services. – AFP, September 24, 2021
