POWER OUTAGES AMID SCORCHING HEAT

[Anchor Lead]

Power use in Korea is soaring due to the unbearable heat that has lasted for days now. This has led to power outages in many areas last night. Residents had to spend a sweltering night without air conditioning. Some were trapped in elevators.

[Pkg]

An apartment building is engulfed with darkness. Only lights from cellphones and flickering candlelights can be spotted here and there. Power supply was cut off in this building consisting of 910 households at 9 p.m. Wednesday evening. Unable to use their air conditioners and electric fans, residents rushed outside.

[Soundbite] Koo Ki-cheon(Resident) : "The summer heat is at its peak. I’m worried about the food in my refrigerator. We can’t wash up, either. It must be tough for households with babies. Some families escaped from the sweltering heat in their cars."

[Soundbite] Kang Jung-min(Resident) : "We can’t stay at home, it’s too hot. That’s why we came outside for the cooler air."

Four residents were trapped in elevators and later rescued. The Korea Electric Power Corporation says the accident occurred because of a short circuit in power transformer cords caused by an electric overload. It will likely take some time before the power supply is restored. For the time-being, the residents need to find a place to stay.

[Soundbite] (Resident) : "They said we should either stay at a motel or ask someone we know to let us stay at their place. No one knows when power supply will be resumed."

Another residential complex of 960 households in Incheon had a blackout on Wednesday night. Electricity has yet to be restored in three buildings because of a broken transformer. Authorities will provide a power generator free of charge for two days. Blackouts continue in the nation due to electric overloads caused by the unbearable heat.