Car bomb, gas link blast cut power to north Iraq (quarter of Iraq's ~27 million people)

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A blast at a gas pipeline feeding a power station on Monday and a car bomb targeting power lines at another station the day before have cut electricity to a quarter of Iraq's roughly 27 million people, officials said.

"A car bomb yesterday near Mosul power station shut down electricity to the north and east of Iraq by cutting the lines," electricity ministry spokesman Aziz Sultan said.

"Today, another explosion stopped gas to Baiji electrical station, which then had to shut down. Between them, the two incidents have cut power to the entire northern region. We hope to repair it in two days," Sultan told Reuters by phone.

The region surrounding the northern city of Mosul and the entire semi-autonomous Kurdistan region had no electricity supply, he said.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L11377581.htm

[Barrett808]

1. Car bomb, gas link blast cut power to north Iraq

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A blast at a gas pipeline feeding a power station on Monday and a car bomb targeting power lines at another station the day before have cut electricity to a quarter of Iraq's roughly 27 million people, officials said.

"A car bomb yesterday near Mosul power station shut down electricity to the north and east of Iraq by cutting the lines," electricity ministry spokesman Aziz Sultan said.

"Today, another explosion stopped gas to Baiji electrical station, which then had to shut down. Between them, the two incidents have cut power to the entire northern region. We hope to repair it in two days," Sultan told Reuters by phone.

The region surrounding the northern city of Mosul and the entire semi-autonomous Kurdistan region had no electricity supply, he said.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L11377581.htm

[karlrschneider]

2. Down from 4 hours a day to none. Marvelous.

:eyes: :grr:

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. 25% without power is better than most days, isn't it?

See? Things are improving, just like BushCo said.

[Barrett808]

4. Isn't the actual population closer to 23 million, with 4 million+ refugees?

Those folks in refugee camps certainly aren't getting grid power...

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. I see the great Mosul offensive is proceeding swimmingly...

:eyes:

[bdamomma]

6. those poor people haven't they been through enough???

:-(

[bdamomma]

7. those poor people haven't they been through enough???

:-(

[FirstLight]

8. What a disturbing though I just had

:tinfoilhat:
What if Iraq is our own "practice ground" for how to take out power grids, cut basic supplies to the popuation, create general chaos, etc.

Hate to think it, but I honestly wouldn't put it past them

Those poor poeple....ya, we sure liberated them all right!

[hedgehog]

9. On the news last night, the number of deaths was mentioned but

damage to the power grid was ignored.