A major power outage in Brunei, ongoing since Tuesday morning, has resulted in disruptions to key services, particularly in telecommunications and water supply, as the Department of Electrical Services (DES) works to restore power to the affected areas.
As of 5pm on Tuesday, it was understood that extensive regions of the country, including areas in the Brunei-Muara and Belait Districts, are still without electricity.
Mobile and broadband networks have experienced interruptions into early afternoon today, as reported by network infrastructure provider Unified National Networks (UNN). UNN stated that mobile network services for telecommunication service providers imagine and Progresif have been interrupted nationwide due to a power generator failure affecting critical services.
DST also announced on their social media accounts that disruptions in calls, SMS, and data services should be anticipated.
The Public Works Department (JKR) issued a statement, notifying the public that water supplies would be disrupted in the Brunei-Muara, Belait, and Tutong Districts as the power interruption persists.
Eighteen petrol filling stations across the Brunei-Muara and Temburong Districts have also temporary shut down their operations due to the power outage, leading to long queues in the remaining petrol stations that are open.
The power outage, which began at 11:30am, has caused widespread disruptions in the daily lives of residents. Commercial buildings, offices, and businesses have been particularly affected. Some businesses have opted to shut their operations early as the outage prolonged.
Traffic lights malfunctioned, leading to traffic congestion and confusion. Traffic police personnel were observed managing major traffic junctions as rush hour approached this afternoon.
The Department of Electrical Services (DES), Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), has stated that they are gradually working to restore electricity to the impacted areas. While the department did not address the cause of the incident, citing an ongoing investigation, they assured the public that the situation was under control, and there was no need to panic.
This marks one of the most significant power outages in recent memory, and the question of whether power will be restored before darkness falls remains – Hakim Hayat
More details on Wednesday’s Borneo Bulletin
