Transformer fire at Ayyanaroothu substation near Panneerkulam, Thoothukudi
June 2025Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Ayyanaroothu substation near Panneerkulam in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu
- Operator
- Tangedco
- What
- Transformer caught fire following electricity leak
- Response
- Foam tenders from several stations responded for twelve hours
- Cause
- Alleged electricity leak
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Tangedco
What happened
A fire broke out at an electricity board substation at Ayyanaroothu near Panneerkulam in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, in the early hours of a Saturday morning. The substation, operated by Tangedco and commissioned in 2014, steps down power generated by wind and solar farms in the region. According to sources cited in the report, a transformer caught fire following an electricity leak at around 4am. The transformer held approximately 80,000 litres of oil, which fuelled the fire and allowed it to spread rapidly.
Foam tenders and fire vehicles from several stations, including Thoothukudi Thermal Nagar, NTPL and Tirunelveli, were called to the site. Officials built a sand barrier around the transformer to contain oil leakage. The fire was fully extinguished by around 4:30pm the same day, meaning the response and containment effort lasted roughly twelve hours.
Contributing factors
An alleged electricity leak in a transformer is cited by sources as the initial cause; the large volume of transformer oil present (around 80,000 litres) contributed to the fire spreading and burning for an extended period.
Lessons learned
- Large oil-filled transformers need robust leak detection and early alarms, as an electricity leak at 4am allowed ignition and rapid spread.
- Bunding or sand barriers around transformers limit the spread of burning oil and should form part of emergency plans.
- Substations with large oil inventories require coordinated multi-station foam response because full extinguishment can take twelve hours.
More lessons on detection and monitoring, spacing, layout and fire spread, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the electricity leak
- Transformer model and age
- Downtime and cost of damage
- Injuries if any
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
