Due to massive blackout in Malaysia, workers had to descend from 106-storey tower on foot.

Widespread power outages across the region malaysia Thousands lost power on Wednesday afternoon, forcing office workers to climb hundreds of stairs in one of the country’s tallest skyscrapers.

Videos shared online showed workers evacuating Exchange 106 – Malaysia’s fourth-tallest building – after the lights were switched off on October 15. Some workers used torches to climb the stairs of the 445-metre-high tower, located in the Tun Razak Exchange financial district in Kuala Lumpur.

The footage, set to dramatic music, drew amusing reactions online, with many users joking that it had turned into an impromptu workout time.

One person commented, “Suddenly weight loss time and then on the ground floor… the lights are on.”

One user wrote, “I went to the 5th floor and suddenly there was electricity…”

“Still want to be an advanced country?” Another user joked.

The blackout caused power disruptions in parts of the Klang Valley, including the capital Kuala Lumpur and surrounding cities, as well as Johor Bahru in southern Malaysia. National utility company Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) said a lightning strike disrupted power supply at the Edra power plant in the coastal state of Melaka.

“We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience,” TNB said in a statement on Facebook. He said technical teams have been deployed to restore power in phases. The company later confirmed that full power was restored by 5.54 pm.

According to Malaysian media, major commercial centers such as Mid Valley Megamall, Pavilion Damansara Heights and TRX Complex were also plunged into darkness. Traffic slowed in parts of Kuala Lumpur as signals stopped working, while reports of power outages spread in other areas including Kluang, Tampines, Ipoh, Kuantan and Sendayan.

Exchange 106, which has 106 floors, is ranked 23rd among the tallest buildings in the world by the US-based Council on Vertical Urbanism. The building’s developers have described it as “a lighthouse visible for miles, a symbol of the emerging nation”.