Hong Kong’s railway operator has suspended rush-hour services on the Tseung Kwan O line because of a power supply disruption, leaving tens of thousands of commuters scrambling to find other public transport to get home.

The MTR Corporation said on Thursday that engineers were on-site fixing the fault triggered by a short circuit resulting from the power supply disruption.

Hundreds of passengers rushed out of Tiu Keng Leng station and gathered at bus stops outside.

At Quarry Bay station, an interchange on the Tseung Kwan O line, staff directed passengers away from escalators leading to the platforms and guided them towards other exits.

The MTR Corp said it had arranged free shuttle bus services for passengers between Tseung Kwan O and Lohas Park stations, and on a route from Lohas Park to Po Lam station that stops at Hang Hau station, Tseung Kwan O station and Tiu Keng Leng station along the way, and between Tsim Sha Tsui East and Tseung Kwan O stations.

The rail giant urged passengers to consider alternative routes or other forms of transport if possible.

Lawmaker Gary Zhang Xinyu, an engineer who previously served as a station services manager at the MTR Corp, said a typical power trip would not necessarily lead to a complete service suspension across an entire rail line.