Severe Sindh Storm Triggers Power Emergency Across 10 Districts

A powerful storm has triggered a major electricity emergency in upper Sindh, leaving millions of residents without reliable power across several districts on Wednesday. Sukkur Electric Power Company declared emergency conditions after heavy rain, hail and strong winds badly damaged transmission infrastructure in its service region.

The affected belt includes Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kandhkot-Kashmore, Ghotki and Khairpur, with Larkana among the worst-hit areas. The storm knocked down poles, damaged grid connections and disrupted high-tension lines, creating both a supply crisis and a serious safety risk for people living near fallen wires.

According to the reported details, the power network suffered extensive damage as feeders tripped, towers collapsed and distribution lines snapped in residential and commercial zones. The outages also disrupted water supply, routine business activity and public services, making the situation more difficult during extreme heat.

Sepco chief executive Aijaz Ahmed Channa visited the affected areas and said restoration work was under way. He stated that 27 out of 46 grid stations had been brought back online, while 146 of 400 feeders had also been restored, but full recovery would still require more time because of heavy structural damage.

The company is using an alternative 132KV supply route from Dadu to support Larkana, but officials acknowledged that the backup line is old and cannot provide a complete solution. Consumers in some areas are being supplied electricity in short rotations while repair crews work to rebuild damaged sections of the network.

The storm exposed longstanding weaknesses in the region’s electricity system. Sepco officials said several towers and transmission lines were damaged, while the theft of structural parts from some pylons had already weakened the network before the weather event struck. This made the grid more vulnerable when strong winds and rain hit the area.

Larkana’s chronic power problems have been discussed for years, and the Sepco chief again referred to the need for a 500KV grid station that has reportedly already been approved. Officials argue that such an upgrade could provide a more durable answer to repeated supply breakdowns in the district and surrounding areas.

The impact on ordinary citizens is severe because the outage comes as temperatures in parts of upper Sindh remain dangerously high. Hospitals are facing pressure on backup systems, households dependent on electric pumps are struggling for drinking water, and refrigerated medicines and food supplies are at risk of spoilage.

For Pakistan, the crisis underlines how climate-linked extreme weather can quickly become an infrastructure and public health emergency. The immediate priority is restoration of supply and removal of safety hazards, but the longer-term challenge will be strengthening transmission networks before the next major storm exposes the same vulnerabilities again.