Transformer fire at Gurugram substation triggers widespread power outage
EIR-0272Provisional entry. Published from first reports and rechecked automatically as more sources appear. No further update is scheduled; the entry stays provisional until new information is published.
A fire broke out in the main transformer at the 220 KV power station in Sector-72, Gurugram, Haryana, on a Friday evening at around 7:50 pm. According to Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), a technical fault caused an oil leak in the current transfer circuit, which escalated before the operator could trip the breaker, leading to a transformer explosion and fire. The blast ruptured the collars of the Current Transformer, triggering faults in adjacent systems. Two 220 kV substations in Sector 56 and Sector 52, along with five linked 66 KV substations in sectors 15, 38, 44, 46 and 56, lost supply, causing a large-scale blackout. Rapid Metro services were briefly halted. Electricity department staff repaired the circuit and fully restored the system by 10:10 pm the same night.
Officials stated the primary cause was excessive heat (thermal heating), which led to an oil leak in the current transfer circuit that escalated before the breaker could be tripped, resulting in an explosion and fire that ruptured Current Transformer collars.
- Thermal monitoring and early oil leak detection on transformer current transfer circuits can allow breaker tripping before a fault escalates into an explosion.
- Interconnected substation networks should have segregation or redundancy to limit cascading outages when one transformer fails.
- Rapid deployment of replacement equipment and clear coordination between distribution utility engineers can substantially reduce restoration time after a substation fire.
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.