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Army deployed to protect power stations in Sri Lanka following third nationwide power failure in 6 months

Xinhua, March 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday ordered the army to be deployed to protect all installations and electricity sub stations connected to the National Power Grid following a nation wide power failure on Sunday.

The power failure which lasted for over seven hours was the third nationwide power failure reported in the country within six months.

According to initial investigations, the Ceylon Electricity Board said that a massive damage caused to an electricity transformer on the outskirts of the capital followed by an explosion was the cause of electricity being cut off nation wide on Sunday. However, investigations are continuing.

The government termed the power failure as "strange" and there has been speculation that an act of sabotage had caused the country wide blackout.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the matter.

Local media said that the power failure was the longest in Sri Lanka in 20 years and several areas in the country faced power cuts even on Monday.

The electricity failure also resulted in water cuts in several parts of Sri Lanka and traffic congestions due to traffic signals not being able to operate.

Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board, Anura Wijepala, resigned on Sunday taking full responsibility of the three nationwide power failures, which was reported since the new government was sworn into power following a parliamentary election in August.

In September, an island wide power failure affected the country for several hours with the Ceylon Electricity Board stating that it was due to a technical failure in the main electricity plant.

The second power failure was reported on Feb. 26 which lasted for over three hours with the government stating that a lightening jolt had struck one of the main power lines in the capital.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had called for an immediate probe into the power failures and had appointed two special committees to submit their reports. Endit