A massive power outage in Almaty has halted the metro, disrupted traffic lights, and caused water supply interruptions. City hospitals have switched to backup power sources, according to infohub.kz.
The city administration (akimat) attributed the outage to an "emergency imbalance in the power system." All city services have been placed on heightened alert.
Due to the loss of external power supply, train service on the Almaty Metro has been suspended. Stations are temporarily closed for entry and exit until voltage is restored to the contact rail. Passengers are being evacuated from stations and trains. Meanwhile, lighting and ventilation at stations continue to operate on backup battery power.
"Train service is halted until external power supply is restored, and passengers are being evacuated from stations and trains," the metro said in a statement.
The outage has also affected road infrastructure. Some traffic lights have stopped working. At intersections where they are temporarily out of service, traffic is being directed by police officers.
Medical facilities continue to operate. Hospitals are equipped with diesel generators and uninterruptible power supplies. "Priority backup power is provided to intensive care units, operating rooms, emergency departments, life-support systems, and other critical equipment. Emergency medical care is being provided as usual," the akimat said.
The power outage has also impacted water supply. In some areas, residents may experience reduced water pressure or temporary outages, including on upper floors of buildings. The cause is the shutdown of pumping stations, which depend on electricity. Once power is restored, the pumping stations will be restarted, and water supply will gradually return.
"The Almaty city administration, together with city services, continues to monitor the situation and is taking all necessary measures to ensure the stable operation of the city's life-support systems," the statement said.
An exact timeline for full power restoration has not yet been announced.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that, according to the Ministry of Energy, the cause of the massive power outage on August 14 was an emergency imbalance due to a sharp change in power flows from Central Asian energy systems. Emergency automation disconnected some consumers, including in Almaty and the Almaty region. KEGOC has begun a phased restoration of power supply.