Crow hitting substation triggers five-hour power outage in South Goa
A bird flying into high-tension equipment caused three transformers to trip, affecting electricity supply in Salcete and Kushavati district.
A crow flying into high-tension equipment at the Xeldem substation in Goa caused a five-hour power outage on Wednesday. According to Urban Acres, the incident affected the entire Kushavati district and parts of Salcete, including Margao, Fatorda, Sanguem, and Quepem.
Superintending Engineer (South) Rajiv Samant said the bird hit a busbar, causing a flashover that tripped three transformers. CCTV footage from the facility later confirmed the bird had flown into the equipment just before the disruption.
The outage lasted longer because officials could not route electricity through the Verna substation. A 33kV cable near a petrol pump, which was part of the standby network, had been damaged by a national highway contractor.
The power department could not use the alternative route because the cable was not in service and officials were unsure when the damage occurred. This limited the ability to provide an alternative supply while the Xeldem substation was being fixed.
Electricity to Sanguem and Quepem was restored earlier in the day, while Margao and Fatorda received power after noon. Rajiv Samant said the damaged 33kV cable would be repaired on Thursday to restore the standby link.