Iraq takes cautious steps toward privatizing electricity sector al-monitor.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from al-monitor.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Basra, Iraq – As summer temperatures reached scorching levels, hundreds of Iraqis poured into the streets to protest widespread power outages in Baghdad and the country’s southern provinces.
In the oil-rich city of Basra, demonstrators blocked highways and burned tyres last week to pressure the local government into addressing chronic electricity cuts and poor public services.
Temperatures in Basra have been soaring above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) at noon. Iraqi authorities responded by shortening working hours to less than five, citing extreme heat.
Electricity outages have routinely led to violent protests, particularly in southern Iraq, as successive governments failed to address the recurrent issue in recent years.
Basra protests erupt as power cuts hit scorching Iraq | Business and Economy News justicenewsflash.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from justicenewsflash.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
BASRA: Protesters burn tyres to block roads during a demonstration on Friday to demand restoration of electricity supply. AP
BAGHDAD: A widespread power outage hit Iraq on Friday as temperatures reached scorching levels, affecting millions of Iraqis, including those in affluent areas in the capital of Baghdad and stirring concerns of widespread unrest.
Iraq’s grid was generating just over 4,000 megawatts, according to Ministry of Electricity data on Friday morning significantly less than the 12,000-17,000 megawatts the grid generates on average. By midday, production had climbed to 8,000 MW.
The cuts have impacted Baghdad and southern provinces in particular. In the oil-rich southern city of Basra, which in the past has seen violent protests over chronic electricity cuts and poor public services, a group of protesters burned tires to block roads during a demonstration demanding the return of electricity.
International News
Power outages hit Iraq amid scorching temperatures
BAGHDAD (AP) A widespread power outage hit Iraq on Friday as temperatures reached scorching levels, affecting millions of Iraqis, including those in affluent areas in the capital of Baghdad and stirring concerns of widespread unrest.
by Associated Press
Jul. 2 2021 @ 11:05pm
Protesters burn tires to block roads during a demonstration demanding the return of electricity in Basra, southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 2, 2021. A widespread power outage is hitting Iraq as temperatures reach scorching levels, affecting even affluent areas in the capital and stirring concerns of widespread unrest. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)