Khartoum residents face long blackouts after drone strike on power station

Residents in Khartoum endured more than 12 hours without electricity on Tuesday following a drone strike on a major power substation. The outage forced hospitals to run on generators and cut water supplies across the capital. The Sudanese Electricity Distribution Company confirmed serious damage to the network and apologized for the prolonged blackouts.

An anonymous company official told The Associated Press that the drone hit the Al-Markhiyat transformer station in Omdurman, on the outskirts of Khartoum. This marks the second attack on that station this year. The official blamed the Rapid Support Forces for the strike. He estimated that 60% of the capital's power supply could be affected. Water stations are expected to feel the impact most severely.

The attack occurred in the early morning hours. Abdel-Hafiz Abdel-Mutaal, a resident living near the station, said he heard a drone shortly before the explosion while heading to dawn prayers. “At around 4:30 in the morning.. I heard the sound of a drone very close by, and just moments later a huge explosion,” he said. He observed fire burning at the transformer station site.

The city remained dark well after sundown. Adel Ali, a resident in south Khartoum, reported losing both power and water for 17 hours. As a diabetes patient, he expressed concern over keeping his insulin cold. “My main concern is how to preserve my insulin supply which needs a fridge,” Ali said. He noted that many bakeries closed, creating a bread crisis that may drive prices higher.

The electricity company stated that power rationing will be longer than usual until repairs are complete. Technical teams are working around the clock to restore service. The company did not provide a specific timeline for full restoration.

This incident follows a deadly drone strike on a market in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province, on Monday evening. Emergency Lawyers reported that more than 100 people were killed and 113 injured in that attack. Doctors Without Borders said 36 bodies arrived at its hospital in Nyala and 150 people were treated in its emergency room. The group said many victims were women and children.

The Sudanese war, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 59,000 people according to the conflict monitor ACLED. The United Nations has expressed concern over civilian casualties from drone use. Over 30 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, recently urged the conflicting parties to lift impediments to humanitarian assistance.