BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE blackout in the Beribi industrial area and its surroundings on Thursday was caused by damage done by thieves to the 11,000 volt distribution panel of the Main Intake Station (MIS) in Kg Kiarong, the Department of Electrical Services (DES) said in a statement yesterday.

Investigations revealed that the damage was caused by “the acts of irresponsible parties” who stole metallic cover sheets, a backup NiCD battery and earthing cables from the MIS.

The electrical disruption affected street lighting along Jalan Perindustrian Beribi and a section of the Tungku-Link Highway.

The supply of electricity was restored in stages starting from 11.50pm, with the use of an alternative electricity source. By 12.40am, the electricity to all the affected areas was fully restored, the DES said.

The department added that it has taken immediate steps to repair “a large part” of the damage to the distribution panel, and the works were expected to be completed yesterday, without further disrupting electricity supply to the affected areas.

During the incident, the DES hotline 144 received numerous calls from its customers residing in the affected areas.

“Considering the very high number of calls, the hotline was congested for more than 30 minutes. The DES apologises for the inconvenience caused to the public as a result of the electricity disruption and asks for the public’s cooperation in immediately reporting any suspicious activities at any of the DES facilities to the department or to the Royal Brunei Police Force.”

The department warned that damaging or stealing of public property was an offence that carried penalties of fines or imprisonment, or both.

The Brunei Times