Short circuit sets 440 volt power line alight in Patna

What happened

On a Sunday morning in October 2026, a short circuit on a 440 volt electricity supply line caused the wire to catch fire at Maranchi Durga Chowk, within the Hathidah electricity substation area in Patna, Bihar. Smoke and flames from the wire alarmed nearby shopkeepers. Some of them threw water on the wire to put out the fire, which went out within a short time, but the wire continued to emit smoke for a while.

Shopkeepers informed the Hathidah electricity substation. According to the report, the fire did not spread, and no one was injured. Local shopkeepers said the faulty wire should be checked and repaired quickly. The source reports no fire service attendance and no power outage details.

Contributing factors

The source attributes the fire to a sudden short circuit on the 440 volt supply line. Shopkeepers described the wire as faulty and asked the electricity department to inspect and repair it. The source does not establish the cause of the fault or the condition of the wire before the event.

Lessons learned

1. Damaged or deteriorated low-voltage supply conductors should be reported and inspected promptly, as a fault can ignite the conductor.
2. Operators should maintain a clear reporting route so that members of the public who notice smoke or sparking can reach the substation quickly.
3. Public-facing staff and nearby businesses should be told not to approach or douse energised equipment with water, and to call the utility first.

More lessons on outages, backup supply and restoration, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Source

bhaskar.com