Iraq’s electric grid hit by fire, explosion amid soaring temperatures

Baghdad [Iraq]: The faltering national electrical grid of Iraq has been impacted by a fire at a power plant and many explosions as temperatures climb in the country, Al Jazeera reported.

According to a statement released by the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity on Saturday, a fire started at the Al-Bkir station in the southern city of Basra during noon hours.

It added that as a result, transmission cables connecting the southern and central regions were severed, causing a “total shutdown” of the local electricity system.

According to a local transmission firm, three electrical towers in the north were apparently targeted by sabotage attempts on Saturday. The company claimed the attacks involved improvised explosive devices, which temporarily disrupted service, Al Jazeera reported.

It did not say who was responsible for the attack, but ISIL (ISIS) fighters and other armed groups have been known to be active in the area, according to Al Jazeera.

The Baghdad municipality claimed that the Basra fire-related outage had an impact on other services, such as the availability of tap water, and that it was attempting to operate water pumps using generators to lessen the impact on residents.

Since the nation frequently experiences power outages in the summer, many houses, if they can afford it, subscribe to neighbourhood generators for emergency supplies.

Despite being an oil-rich nation, Iraq’s outdated power grid is unable to handle summertime peak demand, leaving millions without energy as the temperature rises. Iraq has experienced numerous protests over inconsistent power supplies, with the most recent being earlier this month.