Power outage plunges Sabah’s east coast into darkness, nearly a million affected

A MASSIVE blackout struck six east coast districts of Sabah this evening, cutting electricity to nearly a million people after a key transmission line tripped.

Sabah Electricity Chief Operating Officer Mohd Yusmanizam Mohd Yusof said power was being restored in stages while teams worked to trace the fault involving the 275kV Kolopis–Segaliud line.

The outage, which began at 5.05pm, hit Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Semporna and Beluran.

“Our teams are on the ground doing everything they can to restore supply. The bad weather has made things more difficult, but work is ongoing,” he said in a statement.

Yusmanizam added that severe weather was not being ruled out as a cause of the disruption.

The 275kV Kolopis–Segaliud line is a critical east coast lifeline, carrying bulk power from Sabah’s west coast plants, meaning any trip on the corridor can plunge entire districts into blackout.

The combined population of the affected districts, roughly 1.23 million, is around for almost one-third of Sabah's population. - September 13, 2025