Terrible toll of Malawi electricity outages back

Power black outs are now back in the country as the nation is pushed into darkness for prolonged hours, just a week after the state power distribution company put up press releases celebrating 40 days of no power cuts.

Health workers using mobile phone light during blackout

Publicist for Electricity Generation Company (Egenco), the country's main producer of power, Moses Gwaza attributed the current spate of power black outs to break down of the company's machines.

"Three out of the four machines at Kapichira power station were down. these are obsolete machines which are support to go for overhauling maintenance every 20 years," he said.

Gwaza said the machines have not undergone the serious maintenance since they were installed in the 1960s.

Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) h spokesperson Innocent Chitosi said the company was working with Egenco to minimise the power black outs.