The majority of Lebanon will be without power for 'several days' after main power plants run out of fuel

A customer uses her phone's flash light in a grocery store during a power cut near Bhamdoun.

REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

• There is no power in the majority of Lebanon after two major power plants ran out of fuel.
• A Lebanese official told Reuters the outage is expected to last for at least "several days."
• Lebanon has faced an economic crisis and fuel shortages for the past 18 months.

The majority of Lebanon is without power Saturday and is expected to remain without it for "several days" after its main power plants ran out of fuel, Reuters reported.

"The Lebanese power network completely stopped working at noon today, and it is unlikely that it will work until next Monday, or for several days," an unnamed Lebanese official told Reuters on Saturday.

In a statement, the state electric company said a thermoelectric plant at its Zahrani power station stopped working Saturday. Another plant in Deir Ammar stopped on Friday, Reuters reported. Those two plants provide power to about 40% of the country, the company said.

People shop in a grocery store under a portable electric light during a power cut near Bhamdoun, Lebanon, October 9, 2021.

REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

The official told Reuters the state electric company planned to temporarily use army oil reserves to restore power but said it would day days to do so, according to the report.

According to the report, many people in Lebanon use private diesel-powered generators to power their homes and businesses, though diesel fuel is also in short supply, the report said.

As the BBC noted, Lebanon has faced an economic crisis and fuel shortages for the past 18 months. Prior to the shutdown Saturday, many Lebanese people were only provided with just about two hours of electricity per day.

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