Kozhikode: Passengers and staff at the Mavoor Road bus terminal were left in distress after a power outage disrupted operations for over an hour on Saturday evening.

The power went out around 6.30 PM and was restored only by 7.45 PM, leaving the terminal in darkness during peak passenger hours. The disruption was reportedly caused by a malfunction in KSEB power cables.

Although a generator is installed at the terminal to handle such emergencies, it has remained non-functional for months and now lies unused. This lack of backup power worsened the situation for both passengers and staff.

Several key facilities, including the inquiry counter, the offices of the general controlling inspector and station master, the reservation desk and courier services, were forced to operate under the dim glow of mobile phone flash-lights.

Since it was a Saturday, the terminal witnessed a heavy rush, especially of long-distance travellers. Amidst poor visibility, some passengers also reported attempts of pickpocketing.

Despite repeated visits by technicians, the generator remains out of service. Passengers have urged the authorities to urgently repair the generator to prevent such issues in the future.