Electricity supply partially restored in Hong Kong

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Hong Kong's electricity supply was restored on Wednesday after the city experienced a massive power outage the day before for the first time in a decade, local media reported.

The full restoration will take at least two days, officials said, adding that an investigation into the incident on Tuesday evening, which affected approximately 20,000 households, has been launched.

Power supplier CLP said the electricity breakdown in the New Territories West area was "caused by a fire" that destroyed the transmission cable bridge in Yuen Long, official RTHK News reported.

The electricity breakdown also disrupted the normal schedule of some trains, as well as services in at least three hospitals in the area.

Eric Cheung, a CLP official, said electricity has been supplied from "alternative sources."

"Our power supply security is getting a bit lower as compared with the normal supply arrangement," he said.

"So, if they (people) are able to save the energy a bit, it can help us in maintaining the power supply to them before we are able to fully restore the supply in this area."

Tse Chin-wan, a Hong Kong government official, said the CLP has been asked to "submit a preliminary report on the power outage within three days, and a full report in two weeks."