Nationwide blackout hits Iraq amid record heatwave

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s national power grid collapsed on Monday after extreme heat and soaring demand in Karbala and Babil caused two high-voltage transmission lines to fail, plunging much of the country into darkness.

The Ministry of Electricity said the Mussayib–Babil 400 kV lines tripped under heavy loads driven by record temperatures above 50°C (122°F) and a surge of millions of pilgrims in Karbala. The outage wiped out more than 6,000 megawatts, triggering a chain reaction that shut down generating units nationwide.

Power plants in Basra, Maysan, Dhi Qar, Baghdad, Diyala, and al-Anbar went offline. Southern and central provinces, including Basra and the mid-Euphrates region, were hit hardest despite not being the source of the fault.

The ministry and regional control centers reported partial restoration, prioritizing hospitals, prisons, and vital services. In Basra, officials said full supply would likely resume by midnight, stabilizing by dawn.