Batam power outage hits water, fuel and traffic, no cause yet

Update, 6.17pm Malaysia time (5.17pm WIB): The Batam power outage has now passed 10 hours. It began at about 6.30am WIB on Monday, 12 October. Power is back in parts of the city, but several areas remain dark, according to CNN Indonesia and Batamnews.

PLN has not named a cause or given a time for full restoration. Water supply, fuel and traffic are still affected. BP Batam says generators at the water treatment plants cover only about 30 per cent of normal production.

A Batam power outage that began at about 6.30am on Monday, 12 October, has disrupted mobile signal and water supply, Indonesian outlets report.

Batam, Tanjungpinang and Bintan are common destinations for Malaysian holidaymakers and business travellers.

This report draws on Indonesian outlets including Bisnis.com, Batamnews, BatamToday, iNews Batam, Terasbatam and Ulasan.co. It reflects what they had published by the morning of 12 October.

What happened in Batam and where

Reports say the power failed at around 6.30am Western Indonesia Time (WIB). That is 7.30am in Malaysia. Most of Batam lost supply at the same time.

The outage also reached Tanjungpinang and Bintan. Ulasan.co described it as total across the three areas. However, other outlets gave less detail on Bintan.

PLN Tanjungpinang’s spokesman, Sabar Efendi, said the problem began at the power hub in Batam. He said Tanjungpinang gets its main supply from Batam.

Meanwhile, Rudi Chua, a member of the Riau Islands council, said small businesses were hit hardest. He said bigger industries usually have generators.

What the outage has disrupted in Batam

Water pumps stopped, according to the reports. Batam Pos carried a headline saying residents complained about water and signal. iNews Batam also reported lost mobile signal.

Terasbatam reported dead traffic lights and jams. These details each rest on one or two outlets, so treat them as unconfirmed.

We have found no report of any Malaysian visitor being affected. We will update this report if one emerges.

Hotels and ferry operators are the likeliest source of local updates. We have not yet confirmed whether ferry services between Malaysia and the islands are running normally.

What PLN has said and what is still unknown

Yoga Perdana Sulastama, PLN Batam’s communications and public relations manager, gave statements on the Batam power outage response. Rudi Antono, described as the PLN Batam secretary, also spoke.

PLN says it is restoring power in phases. Hospitals and public service centres come first. For now, other areas must wait their turn.

The cause is not confirmed. Batamnews carried early, unverified information of a fault at a Batam power plant. PLN has asked the public not to trust unverified claims.

No outlet has confirmed full restoration, and PLN has given no time. Ulasan.co quoted PLN Tanjungpinang as saying the time is not yet known.