Power Outage Affects 6,000 Installations in Bengaluru After Tipper Lorry Damages 35 Electricity Poles

Electricity supply to approximately 6,000 installations in and around the Jalahalli division of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) was disrupted on Saturday after a tipper lorry damaged 35 low-tension (LT) electricity poles near Chikkabanavara Circle. The incident led to power outages in parts of Chikkabanavara, Hesaraghatta, and Soladevanahalli.

Residents of the affected areas noticed the power outage early in the morning, around 4:30 a.m. "At first, I didn't think much of it since power cuts are a regular occurrence here. Usually, the power returns by 10 a.m. But when it didn't come back on Saturday, I checked with my neighbors and learned about the accident. Fortunately, power was restored by 3 p.m., so it wasn't too inconvenient, especially since it was the weekend," said Shilpa Sandesh, a resident of Hesaraghatta.

According to a Bescom official, the accident occurred at around 2:20 a.m. on the Chikkabanavara-Hesaraghatta main road. "The driver had lifted the trailer of the tipper, which caused the overhead wires to get entangled. As a result, 35 poles were dragged down from Chikkabanavara Circle to a nearby street, a distance of around half a kilometer. The driver wasn't even aware of the damage until an autorickshaw driver alerted him," the official explained.

Due to the extensive damage, power supply to 34 transformers was impacted. However, Bescom officials worked quickly to restore electricity, with power being gradually restored to all affected transformers by 8 p.m. "We deployed five to six cranes and all available staff in the area to ensure power was restored as soon as possible," said H.J. Ramesh, Director of Technical at Bescom.

Bescom's 1912 helpline received numerous complaints during the outage, but by 6 p.m., only 100 complaints were still pending. Officials assured that these would be resolved once power was fully restored.

Following the incident, Bescom lodged a complaint with the police. According to the Chikkabanavara traffic police, the lorry was transporting m-sand, and the driver, identified as Mani, was reportedly drowsy at the time of the accident. A heavy vehicle was later brought in to clear the sand that had spilled onto the road. Police have apprehended the tipper driver, and while Bescom sources suggest that the driver was under the influence of alcohol, the police are awaiting the medical report to confirm this.

The incident has raised concerns about road safety and the responsibilities of heavy vehicle drivers, especially in residential areas where such accidents can cause significant disruption and pose serious risks.