KENINGAU: Consumers here and in Tenom, Tambunan, Sipitang, Beaufort and Labuan were affected by electricity supply disruptions after a power transmission line in Beaufort was struck by lightning yesterday.
Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) said the lightning struck the 132kV (kilovolt) Beaufort-Langsat-Papar transmission line at 1.40pm causing the line to trip.
“This incident also resulted in disruption of electricity supply to the areas around the districts of Keningau, Tenom, Tambunan, Sipitang, Beaufort and the Federal Territory of Labuan,” it said in a statement.
The utility company said generator sets at the Tenom Pangi Hydro Power Station in Tenom and Patau-Patau Power Station in Labuan also tripped and were unable to generate electricity for a while.
Electricity has been restored in stages in some parts of the affected areas starting at 2.03pm on the same day.
Consumers are advised to immediately contact the SESB hotline at 15454 or 088-515000 if power supply to their areas is cut off.
Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 consumers in Tawau were without electricity after a SESB contractor damaged an underground power line.
The areas around Pasir Putih, Taman Ria, Taman Wawasan, Tanjung Batu, Ladalam and Sebatik Island were without electricity supply at 11.43am on Saturday.
Further inspection at Pasir Putih Road confirmed that the underground cable had sustained serious damage and needed to be replaced immediately.
SESB has estimated the loss at around RM30,000 and a police report has been lodged against the contractor.
Electricity supply was restored in stages starting at 12.30pm on the same day.
SESB is once again seeking the cooperation of all contractors to immediately inform the utility company if they have any plans to do work near electrical installations.
Incidents of contractor damaging underground cable through excavation work are among the main factors for the high frequency of power breakdowns.