A major power outage hit the Tunisian capital briefly on Sunday and cut off electricity across the country after a technical breakdown, local media and residents said.

Electricity was cut for almost two hours in the capital, and power was being restored in stages around Tunisia, local residents said.

A general power cut hit Tunisia, said the private Radio Mosaique FM, reporting that the cause was a damaged generator in Gabes, southeast Tunisia.

The Tunisian Company of Electricity and Gas (STEG) is operating on a heavy deficit and has warned of increased power cuts, while its employees are threatening strike action in mid-September in protest at a new law on renewable energies.

A union official put the power outage, which closed down petrol stations and knocked out traffic lights in the streets of the capital, down to a technical fault.