BAGHDAD, March 4 (Xinhua) -- A sudden drop in gas supplies at a major power plant in southern Iraq triggered a total collapse of the national electricity grid across the country on Wednesday evening, according to the Iraqi Electricity Ministry.
A statement by the ministry attributed the blackout to a technical malfunction caused by a sudden fuel shortage at the Rumaila gas power plant in Basra province.
The ministry stated that the disruption led to a rapid loss of 3,000 megawatts, causing a "voltage collapse" at the station and causing several generating units to disconnect.
Relevant departments are working to restore the disconnected generating units, it said.
The nationwide blackout followed a statement on Tuesday from the ministry's spokesperson Ahmed Musa, who noted that "incomplete supplies" from Iran continue to affect the operation of generation units and production plants.
Iraq, long plagued by chronic power shortages due to decades of conflict, remains heavily reliant on Iranian gas to fuel its power grid, particularly during summer.
