A complete loss of electrical power struck the Gulf nation of Bahrain on 23 August 2004, knocking out electricity and air conditioning across the entire country while temperatures climbed past 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).
Authorities said the outage began at 8:36 a.m. local time, stemming from a technical failure in the shared power-loading connection between aluminum producer Alba and the national electricity utility. The electricity ministry said repairs were in progress and power would be restored within hours. By afternoon, supply had returned to portions of the capital and select areas elsewhere.
The blackout trapped some residents in elevators, forced shops and businesses to close, and sent many workers home early. Most buildings lacked backup generators, though hospitals and the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, homeported in Bahrain, relied on their own. Salmaniya Medical Centre, the country's largest hospital, broadcast an appeal asking the public to seek care only for serious conditions, citing the lack of air conditioning.
Summer power shortages are a recurring problem in Bahrain, where peak-season demand from air conditioners and refrigerators regularly exceeds available capacity. The island state covers 700 square kilometers and has a population of roughly 650,000.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in August 2004, in its own words.