Fire guts power distribution system in northern Zambia

An enormous fire has gutted a main electricity sub-station in the northern Zambia, plunging three provinces in the country into darkness, the country’s power utility- Zesco limited- said in a statement released on Monday. The fire, which started midnight on Saturday, gutted the main substation in Mpika district in northern province, a situation that resulted in an interruption of electricity supply to two other provinces- Luapula and Muchinga which also depend on the system for their electricity. The company’s director for transmission Christopher Mubemba said in the statement that the fire damaged the power distribution equipment and that restoration works are currently in progress to ensure that power is restored. He however could not state the cause of the fire. While power has been restored to some districts in the three provinces, Mpika district- where the substation is based is still in darkness. “Zesco also wishes to inform its customers in northern, Luapula and Muchinga provinces that there will be brief interruptions of power supply in their areas to facilitate restoration of power to Mpika and surrounding areas,” he added.Damages to electricity infrastructure are common in Zambia mainly attributed to archaic equipment. Zambia, like all southern African nations, is facing a power deficit caused by increased economic activities.