Fire in Narudhoo powerhouse results in blackout

A fire incident inside the powerhouse of Sh. Narudhoo has resulted in an electricity outage to the entire island.

An official from the powerhouse who spoke to “Sun” said the fire originated from the 80-kilowatt and 50-kilowatt generators situated in the powerhouse which caught on fire at noon, this Monday.

“A new generator which was set up and another generator next to it both caught on fire. The reason for the fire is yet to be identified. The officer on duty switched off the generators and cut off power to the island immediately after the fire,” reported the official.

The official said employees of the powerhouse, with assistance from a lot of members of the local community managed to contain the fire within 20 minutes.

“The powerhouse does not have a fire safety system. So people from neighboring houses brought water and other fire safety equipment to douse the fire,” said the official.

He said the powerhouse used three generators, and that the two generators damaged in the fire required a major overhaul before it can be made operational again.

He said it would be difficult to generate electricity to the island using the just the unaffected 50-kilowatt generator.

Narudhoo has a population of 603 people. The powerhouse provides electricity to 111 households.

The official who spoke to “Sun” said the powerhouse was managed by Fenaka Corporation, which has provided assurance a generator will be brought in from a nearby island so electricity will be restored to the island before the end of the day.