Lightning fire destroys substation cabinet in Quang Ngai, leaving 221 households without power
Oct 2026Published 10 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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What happened
On 10 October 2026, at about 14:30 local time, lightning struck the Vinh Thai 6 substation in An Quang hamlet, Dong Son village, Quang Ngai province, Vietnam, and caused a fire. According to the source, the electrical cabinet at the substation was completely burned and a three-phase fuse had blown. The fire left 221 households in the surrounding area without power. The village people's committee confirmed the fire. Quang Ngai Power Company sent staff to the site to survey the damage, assess it and draw up a recovery plan, and Binh Son Power Company, a subsidiary, carried out the inspection.
Heavy rain and prolonged thunderstorms meant that crews could not safely work at the site at the time, so restoration was postponed until the weather allowed. The utility said it would begin repairs as soon as conditions permitted and keep residents informed.
Contributing factors
Direct lightning strike during heavy rain and prolonged thunderstorms. The source reports rainfall near 190 mm in parts of Quang Ngai province that day. Weather conditions delayed restoration for crew safety. The source does not say whether the substation had lightning protection, and it gives no cause for the fuse blowing beyond the lightning strike.
Lessons learned
- Substation electrical cabinets and three-phase protection need lightning protection and surge arresters that are inspected and maintained, with their ratings reviewed for severe storm seasons.
- Storm warnings should trigger pre-emptive inspection of critical substations and staging of repair crews, so restoration can start as soon as conditions are safe.
- During weather-delayed restoration, operators should keep affected households informed of expected timescales and consider temporary supply options to shorten outages.
More lessons on weather and external hazards, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-10-10. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
