KIEV, Jan. 23-- The continued fighting between government troops and independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine has left thousands of people in Lugansk region without electricity, Gennady Moskal, head of the Lugansk Regional Administration, said Friday.

"The government-controlled areas in Lugansk region were left without power," Moskal was quoted by his press service as saying.

The power shortage has disrupted transport in the region and suspended water and heat supplies, Moskal said.

According to him, the blackout came after heavy shelling in Shchastie town at around midday local time (GMT 1000) has damaged an electricity-generating unit of the local power plant.

Later in the day, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk has ordered the Infrastructure Ministry to ensure the restoration of power supply in Lugansk region without delay.

Lack of power, water and heat supplies has fueled a worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine's Lugansk and Donetsk regions, where people suffer food and medicine shortages.

Poor security and humanitarian conditions in the two conflict- torn regions have forced some 1.45 million people to flee, according to the latest UN estimates.