Grass fire, culprit in 2-hour power outage in Cotabato City, 8-hour in Maguindanao
Local News • 05:28 AM Sun Jan 24, 2016
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By:
Edwin Fernandez with reports from Ferdinand Cabrera
For illustration only.
COTABATO CITY – A grass fire in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao triggered more than 2-hour
power outage in Cotabato City and 8-hour inMaguindanao Friday night and
Saturday morning, the NGCP said.
Melfrance
Capulong, speaking for the NGCP, said one of its transmission wooden poles was burned
and toppled in Barangay Salimbao, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao at 10:57 p.m.
Friday.
Chief
Insp. Bangon Mamako, Sultan Kudarat town police chief, said police and bureau
of fire protection joint investigation showed the wooden post of NGCP was burned and eventually toppled,
tripping the 69KV line from NGCP Simuay Sub Station to Cotabato City and Datu
Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.
The
toppled post was one of the old structures that transmit power to Cotabato
Light and Power Company (Cotabato Light) and Maguindanao Electric Cooperative
(Magelco).
Initial
findings indicate sabotage,” Capulong said. She did not elaborate
saying investigation was still on-going.
No one has
claimed responsibility.
Power to
Cotabato Light franchise area was restored at 1:39 a.m. while supply to Magelco
areas at 7:14 a.m. Saturday. NGCP completed the necessary repairs at 1:54 p.m.
today with the installation of a modified lightweight tower.
NGCP is doing
all it can to ensure continued, uninterrupted power transmission services all
over the country.
However,
power interruptions caused by force majeure events like sabotage and tower bombings,
are beyond our control,” Capulong said. (Edwin O. Fernandez)