Total blackout in Iraq: authorities search for cause of accident
5 March 13:22
On Wednesday, March 4, Iraq experienced a massive blackout, with power supplies cut off in all provinces of the country. This was reported by Dijlah TV and Al Arabiya, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the agency, the national power grid completely shut down, leading to power outages throughout the country.
The lights went out in all provinces
According to Iraqi media reports, the power outage occurred almost simultaneously in all regions of the country.
The Ministry of Electricity confirmed that the power grid had completely shut down and that technical teams had begun to restore power plants and transmission lines.
The blackout affected:
- the capital Baghdad
- the southern provinces
- the northern regions of the country.
The power outage disrupted transport, businesses, and some government institutions.
What caused the blackout
The exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined. The authorities are conducting an investigation.
According to preliminary data, one of the possible causes could have been a sudden halt in gas supplies to the Rumaila power plant in Basra province, which led to a sharp drop in electricity generation by approximately 1,900 megawatts.
Other versions are also being considered, including technical malfunction or damage to the energy infrastructure.
Energy companies have begun restoring the system
The Ministry of Energy said that specialists are working on a phased restoration of power supply.
It is expected that electricity will gradually return to the regions after the power plants are restarted and the grid is stabilized.
Blackout amid tense situation in the region
The large-scale power outage occurred against the backdrop of escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Due to the unstable security situation in the region, the country’s energy infrastructure was under additional strain, which could also have affected the operation of the power system.
Experts note that such large-scale outages can lead to serious economic losses and disruptions in the operation of critical infrastructure.
