MOSCOW, May 25 (RIA Novosti) - Power cuts in the Moscow subway have no relation to terrorism, said Viktor Khristenko, the minister of industry and energy.
The minister said it was a serious accident, and nothing like this had happened for a long time. "The reasons will be clarified. I think it is not a terrorist attack but merely worn out equipment [at the Chagino substation, which is part of the Moscow power ring)," the minister told reporters in the parliament.
Russia's Unified Energy Systems (UES), an energy giant, does not exclude any possible versions, said Margarita Nagoga, the head of Russia's UES press department.
The substation where the accident occurred is located on the Moscow power ring. "Therefore, some parts of the Kaluga and Tula regions suffered from power cuts but then their power systems were transferred to an isolated regime," she said.
After the accident, electricity transmission lines of 110V and 220V were switched off and cutting off consumers. Nagoga said HQ had been set up to deal with the aftermaths. It includes a system operator, Mosenergo, interregional power grid engineers, and the federal network company.
"We hope power provision would be restored within a short period of time," she said.
According to the operative HQ, power deficit totals 1,200 MW, while the need is 10,000 MW.
