Electric pylon of a high voltage line in Mount Lebanon. (Credit: Magaly Abboud/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — The village of Sharqieh in Nabatieh governorate was without state electricity Thursday after unidentified people stole more than 200 meters of electrical cables, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The failure comes as the state supplier Électricité du Liban currently provides barely three hours of power per day in the country.
Sharqieh residents reportedly called on EDL to restore electricity.
They also contacted the head of the municipality, Mohammad Ali Chouaib, to inform him of the problem. Chouaib did not immediately respond to L'Orient-Le Jour's requests for comment.
Repairs could take between a week to three months or more, an EDL official told L'Orient-Le Jour on condition of anonymity. "If the file is not pushed by people in high places, residents may remain plunged into the dark for at least three months," the official said.
He added that, lately, "ministers, MPs and officials are intervening in this kind of incident to speed up the process."
The crisis caused by banking restrictions is also hampering repairs, according to the source at EDL, as the institution's funds remain blocked in banks while contractors ask for US dollars to begin work.
Thefts of electrical cables, especially of their valuable copper components, have risen amid Lebanon's three-year economic crisis, as some people seek to resell the materials for money. The issue is further aggravating power shortages.
"In the Metn region alone, more than 62 electricity stations have been targeted by theft," the EDL source said.