A sudden disruption in electricity supply affected several districts of the Uzbek capital on the evening of October 19. According to reports from the Ministry of Energy, the incident occurred after a stray balloon collided with the equipment at the Aksa Toshkent Thermal Power Plant situated in the Kibray district. Security cameras reportedly captured the exact moment of the impact.

Officials stated that the event took place at 19:05. The collision damaged the T-5 transformer, triggering automatic protection systems and causing the power plant's output to plummet from 460 to 185 megawatts. Consequently, temporary blackouts were registered in residential and commercial areas across the Yunusabad, Almazar, Mirzo-Ulugbek, and Shaykhontohur districts.

Emergency response teams initiated restoration work immediately. Partial power was restored to the Yunusabad and Almazar districts by 19:09. By 19:25, alternative backup sources were successfully engaged, and full electrical service was returned to all affected consumers by 19:38.

The Energy Ministry has urged local residents to refrain from releasing balloons or similar objects near power plants, substations, and critical energy infrastructure to prevent further technological disruptions. This incident follows an earlier major power failure at a newly commissioned thermal power plant in the Syrdarya region, which had previously caused substantial grid instability in parts of both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Source: podrobno.uz