By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-10-16 15:11:18 | Updated at 2026-10-16 16:05:43
57 minutes ago
JOHOR BAHRU – Thousands of residents in several major housing estates in Johor Bahru were left in darkness on Oct 16 due to a major power outage that took place from about 6pm to 7.45pm.
Among the worst-hit areas were Johor Jaya, Mount Austin, Taman Gaya, Ulu Tiram, Taman Ehsan Jaya and Taman Desa Tebrau.
Traffic at major roads in those areas were at a standstill as the outage knocked out traffic lights at major intersections, with mobile network in some locations also affected.
At around 7pm, the customer service hotline for Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Malaysia’s largest electricity utility company, was flooded with calls.
TNB Careline, in a social media post soon after the blackout began, informed customers about an electrical supply disruption in several areas around Johor Jaya.
The statement said that a technical team was at the site to carry out electrical supply repair work.
“We greatly appreciate your patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused,” the statement said.
They also gave safety tips including urging people to be careful when handling electrical appliances, especially during power outages as the supply could be restored at any time.
It was reported that a fire at the main transmission intake at a substation in Kangkar Tebrau caused the power outage.
The Johor Fire and Rescue Department said that two TNB contractors who were electrocuted in the incident were in stable condition and receiving treatment at the hospital.
Videos of the fire were also allegedly circulated on social media.
TNB later said that the electricity supply to affected areas was fully restored as at 7.45pm. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
