High power voltage causes explosions in Aflao

Aflao, April 3, GNA - Aflao residents were scared stiff on Friday night when high electricity voltage caused explosions and frightening sparks of fire in some parts of town.

Domestic and business premises lost several electronic gadgets and electrical appliances as a consequence.

The 32-room Thanks Hotel near the GPRTU vehicle terminal seemed to have been hardest hit, having lost several electronic and electrical gadgets estimated at about 70 million cedis.

Clients in the hotel at the time were said to have stampeded out of their rooms and the premises as heavy choking smoke engulfed the area. The timely response of neighbours, however, saved the Neat Bar, a popular drinking spot near the Ghana News Agency offices from going into flames.

Mr Solomon Kumah, Aflao Area Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) ruled out over-aged equipment as the cause of the incident and said external factors might have triggered it off.

An anonymous source at the company, however, said "some of our facilities are just too old", and that the company needed to inject new equipment such as cables and transformers to improve efficiency on its operations.

Many of those affected said the incident happened so suddenly that they hardly had time to put off their main switches.

The incident occurred at about 1900 hours, an hour after power was restored to the area as part of power rationing programme resulting in the clash of overhead cables leading to flashes of frightening sparks that brightened the night sky.

A source close to the ECG at Denu, told the GNA that similar disturbances in the system were experienced at the Second Low Cost, after the underground cables near the Aflao Police Station had caught fire.

Meanwhile, some TV repairers have confirmed having received damaged electronic devices for repairs some of which were damaged beyond repairs.