Karaoke bar row causes six-hour blackout

A power station manager plunged thousands of homes into darkness after following through on a threat to cut a province’s power during a row with staff at a karaoke bar.

A group of power plant employees had been letting their hair down at a karaoke bar when they were refused a round of free drinks, as reported by the South China Morning Press.

Outraged, one of the men threatened to “unleash the wrath of the electric tiger”, otherwise known as the state electricity system.

Bar staff said they then heard a man, thought to be the power plant’s boss, on the phone asking for the plant to be shut down for repairs.

A few minutes later, “half the country was plunged into darkness” leaving thousands of homes in the Henan province without power for six hours.

The group, which had already received crates of beer and “several bottles of expensive liquor” on the house, were also said to have smashed up the bar during the altercation.

The state-owned Hebi City Electricity Supply Company has since apologised for the incident, adding that it would learn “profound lessons” from the incident.

The plant’s manager has been sacked and another member of staff suspended for two years, while others members of the group have been issued with fines and warnings.