Two successive blackouts hit the “Exhibitional” substation in Tashkent yesterday, with the second incident culminating in an explosion, the Regional Electric Networks press service reported.
The first malfunction occurred at 11:06 AM at the 110/10/6 kV facility. An incoming circuit breaker on the first section of the 10 kV busbars failed, triggering a relay protection system that briefly left parts of the Olmazor and Shaykhontohur districts without electricity.
As utility crews searched for the root cause and rerouted power to backup systems, a second emergency was declared at 20:23 PM when an electrical panel caught fire at the same substation.
Emergency crews arrived on the scene within three minutes of the call. Officials stated that the blaze was sparked by a short circuit in the high-voltage cables. No injuries were reported.
Originally commissioned in 1965, the substation supplies power to nearly 18,000 consumers. Just last month, the facility underwent a modernization drive to cope with surging peak demand, during which its two 25 MVA transformers were upgraded to 40 MVA units alongside revisions to its electrical equipment.
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