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Energy Minister Points to Upper Kotmale Breakdown as Cause of Island-Wide Power Outage

17 Oct 2026 By Lankanewspapers.com Local
Energy Minister Points to Upper Kotmale Breakdown as Cause of Island-Wide Power Outage

Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake has indicated that a technical failure at the Upper Kotmale Power Station is believed to be behind a major power outage that plunged the island into darkness.

Suspected Source of the Blackout

According to the Minister, preliminary investigations point to a breakdown at the Upper Kotmale hydropower facility as the suspected trigger for the widespread disruption to the national electricity supply. Authorities are working to establish the full extent of the fault and restore power to affected areas as swiftly as possible.

Island-Wide Impact

The outage, which appears to have affected communities across Sri Lanka, has raised immediate concerns among residents, businesses, and essential service providers. Power cuts of this scale can have a significant ripple effect on daily life, disrupting hospitals, transport networks, and commerce throughout the country.

What Officials Are Saying

Minister Karunathilake has confirmed that the breakdown at the Upper Kotmale Power Station is currently suspected as the primary cause of the island-wide outage, and that authorities are actively investigating the matter.

The Ceylon Electricity Board and relevant technical teams are expected to carry out an urgent assessment of the situation. Further updates from the Energy Ministry are anticipated as the investigation progresses.

Sri Lankans are advised to stay tuned to official government channels for the latest information regarding power restoration timelines.

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R
Roshan Bandara 17 Oct 2026

always blaming one power station, what about the maintanance issues they been ignoring for years

S
Sanduni Jayawardena 17 Oct 2026

exactly, same excuse every time, nothing changes

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