The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said fire from a plastics dump site last Friday damaged the base of Tower No 5 at the Onitsha-Asaba 330kV transmission line with the line shutdown from supplying Asaba as repairs begin.
A statement by the spokesperson, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, said the fire incident started from a 415 volts Three Phase Service cable belong to Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) on the plastics dump site which set the TCN tower ablaze and caused the legs to buckle.
TCN said the tower is being supported by tension on Towers No 4 and 7.
“TCN’s engineers are already on ground to anchor the affected tower as remedial measure to prevent it from completely collapsing as that would pull down other towers along the same transmission line route,” the spokesperson said.
Asaba presently is being supplied electricity from the TCN Benin – Asaba 330kV transmission line, until the company completes anchoring the damaged Tower 5 in Onitsha.
It is also working on logistics and materials that would enable it replace the burnt suspension tower.
The firm harped on the need for members of the public to desist from using Transmission Right of Way (RoW) for any kind of business, to prevent such avoidable occurrences which cause huge financial loss and attendant inconveniences including danger to life and properties.
