66 kV power line snaps in Kochi amid lightning, falls on houses and Container Road; major disaster averted
A major disaster was averted in Eloor after a lightning strike snapped a high-tension power line across rooftops and a busy road.
A major disaster was averted in Eloor after a lightning strike snapped a high-tension power line across rooftops and a busy road.
A major disaster was averted in Eloor after a lightning strike snapped a high-tension power line across rooftops and a busy road.
Kochi: A major electrical disaster was averted in Eloor during the early hours of Thursday after a 66-kilovolt (kV) Extra High Tension (EHT) transmission line snapped at two locations amid intense lightning and fell across residential rooftops and the busy Container Road.
Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) officials in Eloor confirmed to Onmanorama that the damaged cable was a 66 kV transmission line connecting the Kalamassery substation to Edayar, though there were initial reports that it was an 11 kV line that snapped.
The incident occurred around 2.40 am amid heavy rain and thunderstorms. An electrical flashover triggered by lightning caused the transmission line to snap, bringing down sections of the heavy cable across houses and the Container Terminal road.
The fallen line affected multiple locations between Puthiya Road, Falcon and Tendence, extending up to the Labour Quarters. The cables came down across residential rooftops and obstructed the Container Road, posing a serious safety risk to residents and motorists.
According to KSEB, a major accident was prevented when the safety feeder at the substation tripped immediately, cutting off the power supply to the line and preventing the fallen conductors from remaining energised
“The EHT line snapped and fell at two spots amid lightning. There was nothing serious in terms of casualties because the feeder immediately tripped off completely, so a major disaster was averted. However, in one or two places, minor incidents occurred, including two solar power meters catching fire and damage to a computer. Fortunately, no other untoward incidents were reported so far. Also no other household consumer appliances were lost,” an official at the Eloor KSEB office said.
Residents alerted the KSEB and the Eloor Police Station soon after the incident. Emergency response teams and linemen from the Kalamassery substation rushed to the affected areas to clear the fallen cables and secure the sites. The Container Road was subsequently reopened to traffic after the immediate hazards were addressed.
Restoration work on the damaged transmission line is under way. As a precaution, the power supply to a local distribution transformer serving around 85 houses was manually switched off to enable workers to carry out the hazardous task of restringing the overhead line safely.
“Only one transformer covering about 85 consumers has been isolated, and that was manually switched off by our crew so workers can safely pull and string the transmission line,” the KSEB official said, adding that repair work was progressing on a war footing.