Train bringing LSIs topples power lines in COVID-19-hit village in Naga City

LEGAZPI CITY –– Residents of Concepcion Pequeña village in Naga City were still waiting for their electricity to be restored on Wednesday after a train carrying locally stranded individuals to Bicol toppled nine power lines on Monday evening.

Rinner Bucay, the spokesperson for Camarines Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Casureco) II, said that putting power back up may take two to three days due to limited movement and human resources that they were able to send to the area.

The village was still on lockdown because 23 of the 31 active coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the city were from the said place.

Bucay said Casureco II would have to construct five 35-foot poles and a 40-foot pole to repair the damage caused by the accident.

According to him, aside from the repair on the primary and secondary lines, two distribution transformers were also affected.

He said that in their initial investigation, telephone and internet company wires with low-lying lines may have been hit first, causing a domino effect on their lines.

Bucay said the newly connected telco lines may not have followed the 15-meter elevation standard.

The train that arrived on Monday was the third to bring LSIs to the Bicol region.

As of this writing, 25 percent of the households affected still have no electricity.

“That 25 percent includes zones in the village that is under lockdown,” Bucay said.

LZB