Kathmandu, December 7

Nepal Electricity Authority today said unidentified persons detonated a powerful bomb at Duwakot of Bhaktapur yesterday in a bid to cut off electricity supply to various parts of Kathmandu Valley.

An NEA source said a power supply line of 66 kV Bhaktapur-Baneshwor transmission line snapped due to the impact of the blast at around 9:00pm yesterday. This disrupted the supply of 20 megawatts power to Baneshwor and Patan, leaving the areas in darkness.

A bomb disposal squad of the Nepali Army had reached the incident site. “The bomb was detonated with the motive disrupting the voting process,” he said. NEA had made emergency arrangements to resume power supply bearing in mind the sensitivity of the elections.

NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising said the incidents of bomb blast had posed a serious threat to transmission and supply of electricity.