Massive blackout – residents of Zhetysu region also left without power

Tengrinews.kz — The Jetisu Region, including the cities of Taldykorgan and Tekeli, has been hit by a major power outage. The blackout was caused by an emergency shutdown of main power transmission lines.

According to the Jetisu regional administration’s press service, three 500 kV overhead power lines—L-5400, L-5300, and L-5320—tripped at 2:38 p.m. on August 14. All lines are owned by KEGOC JSC.

As a result, power was lost in Taldykorgan, Tekeli, and eight districts across the Jetisu Region.

The outage in Taldykorgan has also led to disruptions in internet and mobile communications.

Official reports state that specialists are currently working to restore the power supply. Emergency generators have reportedly been activated at social facilities throughout the affected cities and districts.

How it all began

In Almaty and the Almaty region, power disruptions began around 3:00 PM on August 14. with electricity. Residents in various districts across the city reported power outages.

According to official data, a failure occurred on 500 kV overhead power lines owned by KEGOC. As a result, some consumers in Almaty and the Almaty Region were left temporarily without electricity.

The accident resulted in a load shedding of 300 MW.

In the Almaty region, electricity was cut in the Zhambyl, Balkhash, Yesik, Karasay, Shelek, Raiymbek, Uygur, Ili, Kegen, and Talgar districts.

Specialists are already working to restore the power supply.

In Almaty itself, the outage caused some traffic lights to fail, led to communication disruptions, and triggered rapid traffic congestion. Traffic controllers have been deployed to major intersections.

Amidst mass power outages across Kazakhstan's regions, residents of neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have also begun reporting disruptions to their electricity supply.

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Amid the power outages, Almaty residents on social media are discussing the upcoming concert of American rapper Kanye West, scheduled for the evening of August 14. Users have already begun linking the two events in jokes and memes. Details here.