A nationwide blackout on Tuesday afternoon left Albania scorching, sweating and powerless amid the sizzling heat wave that is sweeping across the Balkans.
The power cut began at 4 p.m. local time, because the transmission line importing power from neighboring Macedonia is faulty, the country's Energy Minister Genc Ruli said.
But nobody would know it was caused by a defective transmission line if Ruli didn't make the explanation on TV.
Power cuts have become a routine since the beginning of July.
Albania has met serious problems in supplying electricity for the country due to lack of rain on which its hydropower stations depend and growing domestic consumption which peaked in the heat wave that is pushing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
The western Balkan country has power cuts twice a day, with every time lasting two hours on average. The situation in the country's far-reaching areas is even worse, which have no electricity for up to 15 hours daily.
The lack of electricity has led to the cut-off of water supply because the pumps need the power to work. In the capital city of Tirana, some residents have to remain dry without water for most of the day, and go to bed without taking a shower.
Source: Xinhua
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