Cable strike and overload fire on a Stanley substation feed disrupt power in Chennai

What happened

In September 2026, power disruptions in parts of Chennai were reported after BSNL repair work in the RK Nagar Stand area damaged a main power line. Supply was restored through an alternative line from the Stanley substation. The added load was reported to have caused equipment there to overheat and catch fire, leading to further disruption. The outages were said not to be due to a shortage of electricity. Officials were reported to have been asked to lodge a police complaint against BSNL. The extent of damage, any injuries and how long supply was lost were not reported.

Contributing factors

A main power line was damaged during BSNL repair work. Load was then transferred to an alternative line from the Stanley substation, and that equipment was reported to have overheated. Coordination between the excavating agency and the power utility before the work was reported as lacking.

Lessons learned

1. A cable strike on a main power line forces load onto an alternative substation feed, so operators must check the rating of that equipment before transfer.
2. Excavation near underground cables can damage a main power line, so the utility and excavating agency must agree cable locations in advance.
3. Cable strikes by other agencies should be logged and followed up so repeat damage at the same site can be tracked.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Extent of damage to substation equipment
• Duration of supply loss
• Any injuries to staff or public
• Model and age of the failed equipment

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

dtnext.in