Power blackout plunges Pakistan into darkness

Pakistan plunged into total darkness at midnight after a massive power blackout. The national power grid breakdown left millions of Pakistanis without electricity. 

<p>A spokesman of the National Transmission and&nbsp;Despatch Company said that a committee has been constituted to probe the breakdown causes.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>Earlier, around midnight, Pakistan Power Minister Omar Ayub Khan said that the countrywide blackout was caused by a sudden plunge in the frequency in the power transmission system.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>Ayub updated that the fault originated in Guddu at 11:41 pm on Saturday.</p>

A spokesman of the National Transmission and Despatch Company said that a committee has been constituted to probe the breakdown causes.

Earlier, around midnight, Pakistan Power Minister Omar Ayub Khan said that the countrywide blackout was caused by a sudden plunge in the frequency in the power transmission system.

Ayub updated that the fault originated in Guddu at 11:41 pm on Saturday.

<p>"The fault led to tripping of transmission lines across Pakistan due to which in less than a second, the system's frequency dropped from 50 to 0. The dropped frequency led to a shut down of the power plants," he updated on Twitter.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>That blackout, which was one of the worst in Pakistan’s history, saw power being snapped in major cities, including capital Islamabad, and even disrupted flight operations.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;</p>

"The fault led to tripping of transmission lines across Pakistan due to which in less than a second, the system's frequency dropped from 50 to 0. The dropped frequency led to a shut down of the power plants," he updated on Twitter.

That blackout, which was one of the worst in Pakistan’s history, saw power being snapped in major cities, including capital Islamabad, and even disrupted flight operations.