Gurugram: Power outage hits several parts after transformer fire at Sector-72 substation
Gurugram, May 23
A major power outage hit several parts of Gurugram on Friday evening after a fire broke out following a fault in the main transformer at the 220 KV power station in Sector-72, officials said.
According to Sandeep Chugh, PRO of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), the disruption was triggered due to a technical fault, which led to an oil leak and subsequent blast in the current transfer circuit.
"Power Supply Restored from the 220 KVA Power Station in Sector 72, Gurugram", the department said, adding that the "Blast Was Caused by Oil Leakage in the Current Transfer Circuit."
Officials further confirmed that "Power Supply to 7 Power Stations Disrupted Due to the Blast in the Current Transfer Circuit", following which electricity department personnel were deployed on-site to carry out emergency repairs.
"Electricity Department Employees Repaired the Circuit and Restored Power Supply," the statement said.
The XEN was also present at the site.
The fault occurred at around 7:50 pm and led to widespread disruption across multiple 66 KV substations in sectors 15, 38, 44, 46, 52 and 56. Rapid Metro services were also briefly affected but were restored by 8:15 pm, officials said.
According to the XEN (Executive Engineer) of the Haryana Electricity Distribution Corporation, an oil leak in the transfer circuit escalated before the operator could trip the breaker, resulting in a transformer explosion and fire.
"Before the operator could attempt to trip the breaker to prevent a fire, the transformer exploded, and a fire broke out," the XEN said, adding that the blast led to the rupture of the collars of the Current Transformer (CT), which further triggered faults in adjacent systems.
Due to the incident, two major 220 kV substations in Sector 56 and Sector 52 were shut down, along with five linked 66 KV substations, resulting in a large-scale blackout across the network, another Executive Engineer, Anil Malik, added.
Rapid Metro services, which operate from the Sector 56 power station, also came to a halt at 7:50 pm but were restored around 8:25 pm. "By 10:10 pm, the department had fully restored the entire system on its end. Currently, there is no impact on the power supply," officials said.
Authorities also stated that the primary cause of the fault and damage was excessive heat (thermal heating). Restoration work has been completed, and replacement equipment has been dispatched to the site, with officials expecting full replacement of damaged components within the next 2-3 hours.
"No further issues are anticipated during the night," officials added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I moved to Gurugram from US last year and this is the third major outage I've experienced! But I must say, the recovery time here is impressive. In my hometown in California, power outages often last 12+ hours. So well done to the DHBVN team for quick response! 👏
Wow, that was scary! I live near Sector 56 and saw the flash. But look at the efficiency - from 7:50pm to 10:10pm, complete restoration! Our electricity department workers are true heroes. They risk their lives to fix these things. Thank you! 🙏
Is anyone else concerned about how this could have been prevented? The article says there was an oil leak and thermal heating that caused the blast. Shouldn't regular maintenance catch this? I hope the authorities do a thorough investigation rather than just a quick fix. Our safety matters! 😤
This is why we need better infrastructure planning in Indian cities. The Rapid Metro being affected shows how interconnected everything is. But good job by the team for restoring services so quickly. Still, prevention is better than cure! Let's hope the new transformer lasts longer. 💡
Living in Sector 46, we faced complete darkness for 2 hours! But I appreciate that the department kept us informed through updates. The XEN being present on site shows commitment. However, we need more backup systems in place for such emergencies. What about hospitals and essential services?
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.