BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Brunei has experienced a sudden and extensive power outage since around 11:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
Residents and the government 123 hotlines told Xinhua that the most significantly affected regions were Brunei-Muara district, Tudong district and the primary oil and gas production area Kuala Belait district.
The Department of Electrical Services (DES) said that electricity supply disruptions affected Kuala Belait, Tutong and part of the Brunei-Muara districts, and that it was working on restoring the electricity supply in stages.
This unexpected power outage has caused widespread inconvenience and daily life disruptions, affecting commercial buildings, businesses, educational institutions, hospitals and traffic.
The government 123 hotline operators told Xinhua that they have received numerous calls from residents in three out of all four districts, complaining power blackout issues.
"Government departments are urgently investigating the matter and working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible."
As of 7:30 p.m. local time, power supply has yet to be restored in most of the affected areas in Brunei. The Brunei government has activated contingency plans and coordinated with relevant departments and power providers to minimize the effects of the blackout on residents and communities. ■
