25 school children in Islamabad faint amidst intense heat, load shedding
The country is facing eight-hour-long power outages amid the merciless ongoing heatwave as the electricity shortfall has reached 5,000 megawatt.
According to power division sources on Wednesday, the electricity shortfall was touching 5,000MW following an ongoing heatwave in the country as the mercury level is touching 44 Celsius in Lahore.
The sources said that 4,000MW was being generated by hydropower. Whereas thermal power plants are generating 3,000MW electricity.
The total production of electricity is 19,000MW while the demand is 24,000MW, the sources added.
However, the power division on the other hand, is citing just 1,500 shortfall as a main cause for eight-hour long loadshedding. The sources said the power distribution companies’ system is overloaded, adding that 80% transformers were overburdened.
They said that with the rise in demand, feeders were kept tripping. They said that instructions had been given to the power distribution companies to improve their system.
In Islamabad, at least 25 students of a school in Bara Kahu locality fainted due to the intense heat and load shedding.
The school administration said the children started bleeding from the nose due to hot weather after which they were admitted to a nearby hospital.
After the alarming incident and repeated complaints to IESCO, schoolchildren were allowed to go home due to absence of power.
It merits mention that unannounced electricity load-shedding has continued across the country as the shortfall has reached 4000 megawatts.
The urban areas are witnessing the power outages for five to seven hours while eight to ten hours load-shedding has been recorded in rural areas.
The locals have demanded the concerned authorities to resolve the issue as their routine works are being affected by this electricity crisis.
