Explosion at Barguna Grid Substation Cuts Power to 67,000 for Over 10 Hours

Tens of thousands of electricity consumers in Barguna, Bangladesh, faced a prolonged power outage exceeding 10 hours after a fire and explosion at a Rural Electrification Board (REB) grid substation. The incident left around 67,000 residents in 10 unions under Barguna Sadar upazila without electricity since the previous night.

The fire erupted at approximately 10:30 pm at the 33/11kV grid substation located in the Khejurtala area. Engineers and technical staff from the REB responded swiftly, inspecting the damaged equipment. Mohammad Nazmul Hasan, deputy general manager of the Barguna Zonal Office, described hearing a loud sound followed by a power outage. Upon investigation, they found that an 11kV automatic circuit recloser had exploded, causing significant damage to wires and other electrical components.

While no casualties were reported, the extensive damage necessitated bringing a replacement component from Patuakhali. As of 9:00 am, electricity supply remained interrupted. Officials are investigating the exact cause, with initial suspicions pointing towards an internal technical fault that led to the explosion and subsequent fire. Repair work is ongoing.

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We were at the office when we heard a loud sound, and immediately the power supply went off. After reaching the site, we found that an 11kV automatic circuit recloser (ACR) had exploded, disrupting power transmission. Several wires and electrical components were also damaged.