Power may return to Penang in week

Power may return to Penang in week

GEORGETOWN, Malaysia (Reuter): Power is likely to be restored within five to six days on Penang island following a massive power blackout at the weekend, officials said yesterday.

A German team of engineers flew in on Monday to repair cables supplying power from the Malaysian mainland to the island. By Tuesday night they had repaired one of the cables and Hans-Ulrich Lengler, senior engineer of Germany's Kaiser Kabel, said, "We might be able to supply power to industry in five to six days."

But it could take another nine to 10 days to restore power to the rest of the island, Malaysia's most popular tourist destination and home to 203 mostly high-tech factories, many of them from the United States and Japan.

Another team of expert engineers is expected today from Belgium to help with the repairs.

An explosion on Sunday knocked out all nine power cables on a bridge connecting Penang with the mainland. The cables carry more than half the daily electricity requirement to the island.