ADDIS ABABA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A nationwide power blackout has struck Ethiopia, the state utility firm Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) said Thursday.

According to a press statement from the EEP, a system failure has caused a blackout across the entire country since Thursday afternoon except for Bahir Dar City and its surroundings, located in the northern Amhara region.

The EEP said that efforts are underway to restore the power supply system, and it is currently investigating the possible causes of the system failure that led to the blackout.