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Monday, September 11, 2006

Power transmission line blasted in SW Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 220 kilovolt (KV) power transmission line in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province was blasted through an improvised device, which has triggered tormenting loadshedding in over 10 districts of the Balochistan province, local Geo TV reported Monday.

The power transmission line running from Sibi, 80 km southeast of capital of Balochistan province Quetta, to the capital was blasted through an improvised device, while the 132 KV pylon was severely damaged.

Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) officials said that some unknown persons, through an explosive device, had blasted the two pylons of the 220 KV Sibi-Quetta transmission line in the night between Sunday and Monday.

The thud of the explosion also severely damaged the two towers of the 132 KV transmission tripping its one of the two circuits, resulting in a worst power breakdown that had plunged a vast area of the province into pitch darkness, the report said.

However, electric supply to Quetta was restored late at night, some districts' power supply could only be restored partially, while the other areas still remained plunged in darkness.

QESCO's chief executive Brigadier Tasadduq Hussain said that the devastation of 220 KV transmission line has created 350 megawatt of power shortage forcing 8-10 hours of grueling loadshedding everyday in over 10 districts of the province.

He said that the replacement of the two pylons of 220 KV would cost 1 million rupees (about 16,666.67 U.S. dollars) and that of 132 KV nearly 500,000 rupees (about 8333.33 dollars) according to initial estimates, while QESCO would incur 300 million rupees (about 5 million dollars) revenue loss per day.

He said that the repair work would soon be taken up, which could take several days for completion. Enditem

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