K-Electric Reports 1,935 Karachi Outages From Digging in FY26

K-Electric (KE) recorded 1,935 power outages in Karachi in FY26 caused by uncoordinated digging, and in 456 of those cases the party responsible is unknown. KE announced the figures on 15 October 2026 and asked contractors, civic agencies, developers and residents to contact the utilities before they dig.

One swing of a pickaxe can cut a cable that feeds a whole street. In Karachi, power, water, gas and telecom lines run close together under the roads, so a hole dug for one service can break another. We read KE's announcement on its website on 15 October 2026. This report gives the numbers, shows what they mean, and lists what a person planning to dig should do first.

KE counted 1,935 outages from digging in FY26

KE says uncoordinated digging and pickaxing caused 1,935 outages in FY26, its financial year 2025-26. It calls this one of the leading causes of unplanned outages in Karachi. Some repairs took more than 24 hours, because damaged underground cables are hard to fix.

KE did not give the exact period of FY26 in the release, so we take it as the company's financial year. Using our own arithmetic, 1,935 outages in a year is about five a day. KE also says such damage cuts power to nearby homes and businesses and puts workers and passers-by at risk.

In 456 cases nobody could say who dug

KE says 456 of the 1,935 incidents involved unknown responsible parties. That is about 24 per cent. KE reads this as a gap in coordination before digging, because a crew that tells nobody leaves no trace when a cable breaks.

This is KE's reading, and the release gives no breakdown by area or by type of digger. We cannot say whether the unknown cases were roadworks, private building work or something else. What we can say is that a known party can be asked to pay for a repair, and an unknown party cannot.

Karachi has big projects under way that open roads. We covered one of them in the K-IV water line that will dig 96 km of roads. Any large trench in a city like this meets other utilities' lines, so coordination is not a small matter.

KE asks everyone to contact the utilities before digging

KE urges civic agencies, contractors, private developers and the public to contact the relevant utility providers before any excavation. A KE spokesperson said verifying underground routes before digging can greatly reduce accidents. KE says established protocols exist, but it did not describe the steps.

That last point is worth stating plainly. The release does not name a special desk or a form for digging requests. It lists KE's general contact details only. So the safe course is to write to KE and the other utilities, and keep a copy of what you sent.

1. Write down the exact place and date you plan to dig.
2. Contact KE on 92-21-3263 7133 or 92-21-3870 9132, or at customer.care@ke.com.pk.
3. Contact the gas, water and telecom providers for the same spot.
4. Ask each one in writing whether lines run under the site.
5. Mark the routes they give you before the first dig.
6. Stop work and call KE if you see a cable.

What to do if a cable is damaged

Stay away from the spot, keep other people away, and call KE on 118. Do not touch a cut cable or standing water near it. Give the exact location. If you caused the damage, say so: KE needs to know which line is hit to restore supply.

Gas lines need the same care. SSGC's helpline is 1199, listed on its website. The steps to report a leak are in gas complaints to SNGPL and SSGC, with what to expect afterwards.

What residents can do when digging cuts their supply

If digging near your home cuts your power, report it to KE with the street name and the time. If you saw who was digging, note the name on any board or vehicle. A known party leaves a trail that KE can follow, and an unknown party leaves none.

Karachi residents also report open holes and uncovered manholes to the city. The steps are in how to report an open manhole in Karachi. For power faults after a repair, the K-Electric complaint route through 118 and NEPRA shows what to do if KE does not answer.

Building your own home or shop near overhead lines is a separate risk, and building near power lines brings its own clearance rules.

Common questions

How many outages did digging cause in Karachi in FY26?

KE says 1,935 outages came from uncoordinated digging and pickaxing in FY26. In 456 cases the party responsible is unknown.

Who should I contact before digging in Karachi?

Contact KE and each other utility that may have lines at the site, including gas, water and telecom. KE lists 92-21-3263 7133, 92-21-3870 9132 and customer.care@ke.com.pk.

Does KE have a special form for excavation requests?

KE's release does not name one. It says protocols exist but does not describe them. Write to KE and keep a copy.

What should I do if I hit an electric cable?

Stop work, keep people away and call KE on 118. Do not touch the cable or water around it.

Are these figures for all of Karachi?

They are KE's figures for its own network in Karachi. They do not cover gas, water or telecom lines.

Can I be held responsible for damage?

The release does not discuss liability. If you damage a line, tell KE at once and ask what it needs from you. For legal advice, speak to a lawyer.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 15 October 2026. The outage figures, the 456 unknown-party cases and the KE statements come from KE's announcement dated 15 October 2026 on ke.com.pk, and its contact details from the same site. The SSGC helpline 1199 comes from ssgc.com.pk. The share of about 24 per cent, the 1,479 known cases and the figure of about five outages a day are our arithmetic, not KE figures. KE did not publish the steps of its coordination protocol, so we have not described them. See KE's contact page for current details.