A major explosion at the Amona 220kV substation in Navelim, Sanquelim, early Friday left several areas in Sanquelim and Valpoi without power for approximately 12 hours. The incident occurred around 5 am, triggered by lightning, strong winds, and rain. The resulting fire damaged critical infrastructure, including bus bars used for power transmission within the substation, and destroyed insulators while completely burning transformer oil, rendering the facility non-functional.
Fire and emergency services from Bicholim responded promptly and brought the blaze under control. Officials from the electricity department deployed 80 to 90 personnel, including engineers and staff, to carry out restoration work. Power supply was gradually restored across affected areas by 5 pm, partly through back-feeding from alternative sources and using balance transformers, as one transformer was extensively damaged.
Heavy rain also caused additional challenges, including snapped conductors and uprooted poles in some areas. While power has been restored to domestic consumers, officials stated that industrial consumers will receive regular power supply only after a few more days due to the extent of the damage.
