Lahore [Pakistan], January 25 (ANI): A grid failure that lead to a massive countrywide power outage in Pakistan has caused the country's textile sector a whopping financial loss of USD 70 million, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Industries all over Pakistan were halted after the significant power outage since the National Grid's electricity supply to three provinces was interrupted.

Arshad Khan, a senior official of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), said the losses incurred due to the outage, however, could be worth billions of rupees.

According to sources, the economic damage to the textile industry will reach billions of rupees if the government fails to guarantee a reliable power supply, ARY News reported.

A power outage took place at around 7:34 am on Monday, leaving many cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Islamabad, without electricity, Geo News reported.

According to a statement from Pakistan's Ministry of Energy, the national grid's frequency dropped around 7.34 am, leading to a 'widespread breakdown' in the electricity system. Additionally, it stated that Warsak was the starting point for the repair of grid stations.

Citizens have to ensure load-shedding for the next 48 hours.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday regretted the 'inconvenience' to the citizens due to the power outage on Monday.

He also ordered an inquiry to determine the reasons for the power failure, as well as fix the responsibility.

"On behalf of my government, I would like to express my sincere regrets for the inconvenience our citizens suffered due to the power outage yesterday. On my orders, an inquiry is underway to determine the reasons for the power failure. Responsibility will be fixed," tweeted Shehbaz Sharif.

The electricity outage lasted for more than 16 hours, especially when temperatures were forecast to fall to around 4 degrees Celsius in Islamabad and 8 degrees Celsius in Karachi, according to Geo TV. (ANI)