Blackout hits island

By Steffie Lu  |   2008-7-4  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

SOME parts of Changxing Island remained blacked out until late last night after a connection from Chongming Island was short circuited.

The power authority had been working on repairing the problem for a day and a half and managed to restore the power for homes and company security systems by yesterday afternoon.

About 10am on Wednesday, the 110-kilovolt cable fused above the Yangtze River, 2.5 kilometers away from the island's southern coast.

Officials with the Shanghai Municipal Electric Company found paint had dropped onto the cable and this had melted the wires. The company is still investigating the incident, which blacked out most of Changxing Island on Wednesday.

The company had to introduce a temporary cable to keep some power flowing to consumers and businesses on the island.

Rough waters in the Yangtze River hampered efforts to reach the cable and work on it with safety, officials said.