Story By: Anastasia Smirnova, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Central European News 

Video Credit: CEN/@dtek.dp

This is the moment members of the Ukrainian Parliament light up the room with their mobile phones during a session after a huge power cut hit the country’s capital.

A major blackout in the capital city of Kiev in north-central Ukraine affected a large proportion of the city’s residents and members of the Ukrainian Parliament were forced to work in the dark.

The incident happened during environmental hearings, and parliamentarians had to use their mobile phones to light up the room.

In the video, MPs can be seen using their phone torches to light the chamber as the hearings continue.

The MPs decided not to postpone the session and completed the hearing.

Deputy Chairman of parliament, Olena Kondratiuk, 49, said: “Today I have felt what a vis major feels like. This is how Parliament looks when the lights go off, and the entire hall is full of parliamentarians and hearings. It symbolically happened during the hearing on environmental issues.”

Local media report that the power shortage caused by high-voltage line failure affected almost the entire city centre.

Non-functioning traffic lights reportedly caused major disruption and at least 40 buildings were affected.

Representatives from the Kievskiye Elektroseti company which is in charge of electricity in the entire city said that they have switched the affected buildings and households to reserve lines.

Netizen ‘Olha Kovtun’ said: “I think this is an omen that the end of days is coming.”

And ‘Irina Irina’ ironically added: “Bravo guys!”

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