A crane operator has left many parts of greater Jakarta without power for what is expected to be at least six hours.
The blackouts affecting many parts of Greater Jakarta since 8 a.m. were allegedly caused by a workman after the crane he was operating struck electrical cables near the Muara Karang power station in North Jakarta.
The blackouts affecting many parts of Greater Jakarta since 8 a.m. were allegedly caused by a workman after the crane he was operating struck electrical cables near the Muara Karang power station in North Jakarta.
The 1,000 Megawatt steam-powered plant feeds approximately 60 percent of Jakarta’s energy requirements.
Bambang Dwiyanto, spokesman for State Electricity Company (PLN), told Metro TV that they were investigating how the operator, working for a Japanese contractor, could possibly have struck the cables.
Several parts of Jakarta as well as Tangerang in Banten have been affected by the blackout, which is expected to last until at least 2 p.m.
“The impact of the incident is Jakarta losing 700 Megawatts of electrical power. We are trying to repair the damage and restore electricity as soon as possible but it will take up to six hours,” Bambang said.
Some of the areas currently affected are Kebon Sirih and Jalan Budi Kemuliaan in Central Jakarta, Cengkareng, Soekarno Hatta International Airport and several parts of Tangerang.
“There’s a blackout but we have a generator set that automatically turns on as soon as the electricity is off,” Sudaryanto, the corporate secretary of PT Angkasa Pura II that manages the airport. “It does not hamper any flight activities.”
