By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
A 150MVA transformer belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria(TCN) located at the 330/132/33KVA substation along Sapele road Benin, Edo state was yesterday destroyed by fire.
It was gathered that the fire which started at about 8am sunday morning was put out at about 11: 30 am by combine efforts of four fire fighting vehicles.
A source within the transmission told our reporter that the cause of the fire was not yet known.
A witness in the area, David Osasu, told our reporter that they had an explosion inside the transmission company followed by smoke at about 8am.
“The transformer exploded in the money at about 8am. It took over an hour’s before help came from the fire service as TCN doesn’t have a fire service,” he said.
He lamented that TCN substation in Edo that controls more than two states does not have its own fire fighting equipment for use in case of fire outbreak.
He said, help however, came at about 11:30am when fire fighters, Nigerian Army, Airforce, University of Benin Teaching Hospital(UBTH) and Delta state fire service as well as that of the Niger Delta Power Holding company limited ( NDPH) fire station (NIPP projects) came to put out the fire after about three and half hours after the fire started.
Journalists were not allowed access to the premises as it was locked and manned with security personnel but five fire fighting vehicles were seen moving out of the premises.
Effort to reach the management of TCN was not successful as they were said to be very busy as at the time of filling the report.
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