Cable failure causes explosion at T&TEC substation in Reform, Trinidad
EIR-1044An explosion occurred at the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) substation in Reform at around 1am. The incident was caused by the failure of a 12 kV medium voltage cable. Video footage circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke, fire and rumbling noises from the plant. The fault caused a disruption to electricity supply for customers in Bonne Aventure and other areas of Gasparillo. According to T&TEC's Area Manager, the system's built-in safety mechanism de-energised the circuit once the fault occurred, isolating the affected section. Repair crews transferred customers to alternative supply and carried out repairs to the damaged cable. Power was restored to affected customers within approximately two hours. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
The explosion was attributed to the failure of a 12 kV medium voltage cable at the substation.
- Automatic de-energisation systems that isolate faulted circuits can limit escalation and protect personnel during cable failures.
- Rapid customer transfer to alternative supply routes can significantly reduce outage duration following equipment failure.
- Visible fire or smoke from electrical equipment does not necessarily indicate a major incident if protective systems function as designed, but should still trigger thorough inspection and cable replacement before re-energising.
Published 2026-09-18. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.