Since July last year, load shedding linked to falling gas production, rising demand and a shortage of foreign currency has led to scheduled two-hour daily power cuts in most areas.

Earlier this month, a shortage of gas supplies led to temporary shutdowns at fertiliser and chemical plants.

The blackouts, which began last summer as demand for air conditioning rose, have stirred frustration among citizens and interruptions for businesses and led to several reported deaths.

In one case, a saxophonist called Mohammed Ali Nasr fell to his death earlier this month in an elevator shaft in the coastal city of Alexandria, after being trapped in the elevator during a power cut, his brother told a local TV show.

--Reuters--