Staff Writer
NamPower has repaired the Omburu–Khan kV line which collapsed last Thursday. Last week it was reported that vandalism was suspected of having been the cause of the collapse of NamPower’s tower. The incident occurred on Thursday, 01 September 2022, at 13h34.
“NamPower would like to inform its customers and the Namibian nation at large that the Omburu-Khan 2 220kV line, which fell on Thursday, last week, has been repaired,” said NamPower’s manager of corporate communication and marketing, Tangeni Kambangula.
Kambangula said the line was returned to service on Monday, 05 September 2022 at 16h05.
He added that upon inspection, NamPower discovered that the supporting stay wires on the power line were removed.
“In a suspected act of vandalism, compromising the support of the tower and causing it to collapse,” he said.
Kambangula added that the tower collapsing resulted in a veld fire.
“No power interruption was experienced due to the trip of the Omburu-Khan 2 220 kV circuit.”
NamPower has since apologised for any inconvenience that the incident and the restoration operations might have caused.
“While it encourages the public to be vigilant and to speak out against vandalism of national infrastructure, by reporting any suspicious activity to the nearest police station,” said Kambangula.
Last week, NamPower said the line, which collapsed, is one of the transmission lines which supply the coastal area.
“This specific incident highlights the precautionary measures which have to be undertaken by people situated along the line servitudes. Non-adherence to safe distances and clearances around electricity infrastructure can result in hazards, injury, or electrocution,” the statement read.
For the safety of the public, NamPower advised that all wires and infrastructure must be treated as dangerous during any such incidents.
In July, NamPower blamed the partial nationwide power outage experienced around midday to a voltage line collapse on the 220 kV Aggeneis-Harib which supplies the country electricity from South Africa.
According to a media statement issued by NamPower at that time, the 220 kV line was overloaded.