DUBAI // Thousands of passengers were left stranded when a stretch of the Dubai Metro Red Line shut down for more than an hour yesterday afternoon.
A Metro spokeswoman said there had been a power problem at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).
Khawla Al Mehairi, the vice president of marketing and corporate communications at Dewa, said the matter was being investigated.
"Incoming supply to one of the transmission substations feeding the Metro … was damaged due to an unforeseen event caused by an external contractor, which resulted in the loss of line to the referred substation," a statement said.
"Immediate coordination and close cooperation with RTA [Roads and Transport Authority] resulted in the use of the back-up system to restore the operations."
Passengers took to Twitter at Noor Islamic Bank Station.
One passenger caught by the shutdown said: "It was horrible management by RTA. No advice to passengers, no help to elderly who were there."
The Metro shutdown also caused a shortage of taxis outside stations.
