Overloaded truck rams into electricity pole, triggers 17-hour blackout in Kabir Nagar
The impact of the collision was so severe that it snapped 11 kV power lines
Residents of Kabir Nagar in the Gandhi Camp area were left grappling with a prolonged electricity blackout lasting nearly 17 hours after an overloaded truck rammed into an 11 kV electricity pole and overhead cables on Friday evening. The impact of the collision was so severe that it snapped 11 kV power lines, disrupting electricity supply across Gandhi Camp and plunging the locality into complete darkness.
According to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) officials, the incident took place around 9 pm when an overloaded truck entered narrow lanes of the locality. As the truck moved forward, the goods it was carrying got entangled with overhead wires. While trying to move the truck ahead, its driver unintentionally pulled overhead wires, bringing down an electricity pole with a loud crash.
The snapped high tension wires and poles fell onto the road, creating panic in the area. “It could have turned into a major accident. But fortunately, no one was standing there at that time,” said a locality resident.
Explaining the situation, Junior Engineer Gurbachan Singh said the department received information around 9.15 pm. “By the time our team reached, the driver had fled from the spot. We managed to restore supply to most areas by 10.30 pm, but Kabir Nagar remained without power due to extensive damage,” he said.
The power supply to Kabir Nagar was finally restored around 2 pm on Saturday after emergency repairs, including installation of a new pole and rewiring of the damaged network, he said.
PSPCL Sub-divisional Officer Kamaljeet Gill said the incident severely disrupted the functioning of the Gandhi Camp feeder. “A 11 kV pole was badly damaged after being hit by truck. Two transformers had to be disconnected as a precautionary measure. We restored the power supply in most of the areas by 10.30 pm on Friday. But the impact led to a complete breakdown of supply in the Kabir Nagar area,” he said.
“We started the restoration work immediately after receiving an alert. Since replacing damaged poles and overhead lines is a time consuming process, power supply in Kabir Nagar could only be restored by Saturday afternoon,” Gill said.
