Georgia has experienced a major blackout for the third time in two weeks

A massive power outage hit Georgia on the evening of August 5 — the third in less than two weeks. Large parts of the country were left without electricity, including areas of Tbilisi and Batumi.

Power went out around 8:00 p.m. local time. Data from Georgia's State Electric System showed electricity transmission dropping to zero across much of the national grid.

Due to the failure, trains on the Tbilisi metro were halted. Passengers had to walk out of the stations. Railway services were also suspended.

Outages of mobile communications and Internet were reported in various regions. Residents of several cities reported losing electricity, although a full list of affected areas has not yet been published.

The cause of the latest blackout remained unknown at the time of publication. Batumelebi reached out for comment to the State Electric System, the State Security Service of Georgia and the administration of the Enguri hydroelectric plant.

The previous large-scale outages occurred on July 24 and 25. They also affected Tbilisi and a number of regions and disrupted transport, communications and public utilities.

The causes of the July failures are still being investigated by the National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission of Georgia and the country's State Security Service.

Based on: Batumelebi