Blast, sparks caused by power theft

KOTA KINABALU: The explosion and sparking power line incident that has gone viral on social media was caused by illegal electricity connections by the squatters at Kampung Numbak Sepanggar, said Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB).

SESB Senior General Manager (Asset Management) Idris Mohd Noor said about 170 residents in the village and surrounding areas had to endure the night in total darkness due to the hazardous illegal connections.

He said SESB Careline received complaints about the explosion and sparks at 7.25pm on Friday, and a technical team arrived at the village at 8pm to shut down the power supply for safety reasons in order to determine the cause of explosion.

“Investigation found that the explosion was caused by irresponsible actions of the villagers who made the illegal connections to steal electricity from low-voltage overhead power cables,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

Idris stressed that the illegal connections could lead to untoward incidents such as fires.

“I urge the public, particularly those who live in squatter villages, to refrain from making illegal electricity connections.”

He said doing so would not only risk damaging properties, but also disrupt the daily lives of others.

“It could also cause injuries or even fatality due to electric shock.”

He said SESB had carried out repair work to restore power supply at the village the following day with cooperation from the police to ensure the safety of its personnel.

Idris added that SESB, Energy Commission and the government were working to resolve the issue of power supply to squatter areas so that such incidents could be resolved more effectively.
He said SESB would also intensify its joint operation with the police, Energy Commission and government agencies to monitor illegal power connections in squatter areas.

He urged the public to report illegal electricity connections to SESB by calling its Careline at 15454, 088- 515000 or through WhatsApp 019- 852 5427.