Blast cuts off power lines in Herat

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): A bomb blast cut loose power cables in the Kushk-i-Rubat district of western Herat province, disconnecting power supply to 50,000 families, officials said on Sunday.

Eng. Sarwar Siddiqui, Breshna Sherkat head in the province, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the powerful explosion blamed on insurgents cut off cables carrying electricity from Turkmenistan.

He said the cables were being repaired and it would take a week to restore electricity to the affected areas.

The industrialists’ union head, Hamiduallah Khadim, said the suspension of the electricity from Turkmenistan had little impact on their businesses because they used electricity imported from Iran.

However, he expressed his concerns over the incident, saying if such incidents continued, it would affect industries as well.

Ghulam Saqiq, a tailor in Herat City, said he fully depended on electricity and that he could not afford to use fuel for running a power generator.

All food items kept the freezer were spoiled, Shekiba Ibrahimi, another resident said, adding that residents could face acute shortage of drinking water if the electricity was not restored soon.

Officials say 110mw electricity is consumed in Heart, with 90mw coming from Iran and 20mw from Turkmenistan.

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the explosion.

ra/ma

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