A power cut has hit much of Sharjah, causing disruption to residential and commercial properties.
Sunday's loss of electricity was caused by a “localised emergency fault”, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority said on social media.
One resident told The National the power has been out in their building for more than an hour. Others shared footage in malls and supermarkets where shoppers were using the lights from their phones.
Muhammad Anwer, a resident of Sharjah’s Al Taawun Area, said the power was disrupted from just after midday to about 3.15pm.
“Lots of people were going down and checking,” he said, stating many parts of Sharjah were affected. “Everyone was worried.”
Mr Anwer said his mother had to return home from shopping after spending nearly an hour selecting items, because the billing systems were down and purchases could not be processed.
He also highlighted how such incidents can harm pets. “I keep fish at home, and during the power cut they were without proper oxygen circulation for several hours,” he said.
“This caused significant worry, and I sincerely hope they do not suffer lasting effects or loss due to the interruption.
“Although the situation could have been worse because of the mild weather, the incident clearly shows how even a few hours without electricity can impact residents in several ways.”
Sewa released a statement explaining what caused the fault.
“The authority announces that the temporary power outage resulted from a localised emergency fault, which led to the activation of automatic protection systems to safeguard grid stability,” Sewa said.
“The situation has been addressed, and power has been restored to several areas, with service being progressively reinstated in the affected locations after confirming the safety of operations.”
