NTT's Lembata regency almost totally blacked out

Lembata regency in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) had suffered almost a total blackout during the past three days as the local branch of the state owned electricity company PLN cut off power supply due to the shortage of diesel fuel, Koran Tempo reported on Monday.

The daily said that the regency had no electricity for almost 12 hours a day in the last three days due to the cut in the power supply from PLN's several power plants in the regency.

"During the last three days, PLN provided the power supply only during the night from 18.30 to 04.30," a resident told the daily. The power blackout had almost paralyzed business activities in the province. The power blackout also caused traffic jams as all the traffic lights in the regency's main streets were turned off.

PLN's official of Lewoleba regency said that PLN had no choices but to cut off the power supply because of the sharp decline in the diesel oil supply from Pertamina." The diesel oil stocks were not enough to operate all of the existing power plants for 24 hours," he said. (*)