Massive power cut hits big cities for the 1st time in years

A massive power cut has hit several big cities in Turkey, BBC reports.

The cut hit dozens of provinces across Turkey, with officials saying a break in connections with mainland Europe could be to blame.

Power stations and public transport, including Istanbul's tram and metro systems have been affected by the cut.

A crisis centre has been set up at the energy ministry even as the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said all possible causes are being examined, including terrorism.

The Turkish Electricity Transmission company said only 15% of Istanbul and Ankara had power as at early afternoon while Istanbul's transport company said all of its lines were back up and running.

While several cities across the country battled the power cut, Van which is in the east of the country and gets its electricity supply from Iran remained unaffected.

Although Turkey suffers from sporadic power supply, locals say they cannot remember such a nationwide cut for a generation.