The National System Operator (NSO) says the electricity supply has been restored in several areas of Colombo, Gampaha, Galle and Badulla districts following the islandwide power outage this morning (17).

According to the NSO, the nationwide outage occurred due to a system instability in the transmission network, resulting in a total failure of the country's power grid. The interruption was reported at around 11.45 a.m.

The NSO said it is currently working on restoring the system and also requests the rooftop solar PV system owners to disconnect their systems until further instructions from NSO, in order to support the restoration efforts.

Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake said that, apart from the Samanalawewa and New Laxapana power stations, all other power-generating stations, including the Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai, had broken down.

Earlier, the Minister said efforts were underway to restore the power system, with electricity expected to be restored in stages as soon as possible. Although the exact cause of the outage had yet to be identified, investigations were focusing on whether an operational failure at a power plant in Kotmale yesterday (16) had contributed to the system imbalance.

Furthermore, the Minister made a special request to consumers with rooftop solar panel systems, asking them to disconnect their systems at this time to assist in the swift restoration of the power grid.

Meanwhile, purification operations at the Ambatale and Biyagama water treatment plants have been temporarily halted following the power failure, according to the Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB).

The Water Board has urged the public to use available water sparingly, warning that water purification and supply operations at major treatment plants may be disrupted due to the power interruption.