Substation in Vizag catches fire; no casualties reported so far

In another fire accident, fire engulfed the sky at the Gopalapatnam substation in Vizag in the wee hours of Thursday morning, creating tension in the surroundings. Locals who witnessed the incident panicked and immediately informed the fire department. A team from the Fire Department with three vehicles reached the spot at around 3:30 AM and made their efforts to stop the fire. Fortunately, no casualties were reported at the time of the incident.

According to the sources, in the early hours of Thursday, there was a huge fire in the electrical transformer at the Gopalapatnam substation in Vizag. With thick smoke and fumes, the team, who reached the spot immediately, took up to 5 AM to control the situation. “Yesterday was said to be the hottest day recording 42 Degrees Celsius. Excess load on the transformer resulted in affecting the movement of the oils in the transformer. They get overheated which might result in an explosion. These might be the reasons for the accident,” said District Fire Officer, Visakhapatnam Ramprakash.

During the works to douse the fire, since the oil in the substation was burning, it was difficult to bring the fire under control. However, the fire fighting team took immediate care to see that the other substations were in a safe condition.

It is learned that such fire incidents happen during summer when there are high temperatures and an excess load on the transformers. But the officials are yet to ascertain the exact reason for such an explosion and the extent of damage caused to the substation in Vizag due to the fire.

The fire at the substation is the second major accident that has happened in Vizag this week and is a matter of growing concern in the city as the number of fire accidents keeps on piling.