Fire broke at the Gurgani power station in Ain Zara in southern Tripoli after an artillery shell had fallen on one of the turbines, thus prevailing a blackout in large areas of the district.

The General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) said on Facebook that the shelling and fire destroyed a depot containing equipment and wires, while two cars were damaged.

It added that firemen had rushed to the station and, with the help of residents, managed to put out the fire without any human losses.

GECOL indicated that Gurgani power station is one of the most viable electricity generating units that feeds the whole district of Ain Zara with power, saying it has cost 3 million Libyan dinars to build, let alone the time to be spent - over 10 months - to import new equipment and the efforts to be exerted to rebuild the damaged units and turbines so it comes operational once again.

GECOL added that this is not the first time power grids and stations get targeted as it has warned before that if fighting continues to damage power stations and towers and if workers continue to be prevented from fixing them, then a total blackout will prevail in the country.