A massive blackout occurred simultaneously in four Central Asian countries

On the afternoon of August 14, widespread power outages were reported in four Central Asian countries at once—Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Entire neighborhoods in some cities were left without power.

In Bishkek, residents began reporting power outages around 3:00 p.m. local time. Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy confirmed the problems but has not yet identified the cause of the outage.

In Almaty, power went out in four districts of the city and ten districts of the Almaty region. Local energy officials stated that the cause was an accident on overhead power lines. Due to the blackout, the city’s metro system stopped running, traffic lights ceased to function, and mobile communication experienced disruptions. Problems with the water supply were also reported.

Residents of Dushanbe and other areas of Tajikistan were also left without power. The local Ministry of Energy was unable to immediately explain the cause but denied reports of an accident at the Nurek Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Outages were also reported in several regions of Uzbekistan. The Uzbek Ministry of Energy stated that the problems were caused by a failure in the neighboring country’s power grid.

This is according to reports from Russian propaganda media.

Another large-scale blackout occurred in Cuba: the island was left without power.

How to cope with a blackout: recommendations from the National Police.