Cable damage from excavation causes power outage for 2,000 Sibu residents

KUCHING (Dec 6): An outage affected several areas in Sibu after an underground 11kV cable near Lorong Salim was damaged at 2.02pm on Tuesday during excavation works carried out by a third-party contractor.

The incident caused supply interruptions to approximately 2,000 residents around Jalan Salim, Jalan Helang, Bukit Penyau and Kiew Nang, as well as nearby schools including SJK Sung Sang and Kiew Nang Primary School.

Syarikat Sesco Berhad (Sesco) responded immediately by deploying three mobile generator units to restore supply to parts of the affected areas while repair works were underway, said Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) in a statement.

It said supply to all affected customers was fully restored at 9.47pm on the same day, although adverse weather conditions extended the duration of the repair efforts.

According to SEB, this was the third underground cable damage incident linked to excavation works in the same area in recent weeks, following similar cases on Nov 13 and 29.

It said these repeated incidents highlight the need for third-party contractors to strictly adhere to safety protocols and proper coordination before any excavation works begin.

In response to the previous incidents, SEB issued stop-work orders, warning letters and cost-recovery claims.

It will continue engaging with the relevant agency and its contractors to enforce safe working practices and prevent further damage to critical electrical infrastructure which may lead to unnecessary outages affecting the public.

Patrols in the area will be increased and any contractor operating unsafely will be required to cease work immediately.

“Excavation work near electrical assets must be carried out with care and in accordance with established safety procedures,” said SEB Centrol Region regional manager Jabu Ngumbang.

“Any lapse poses risks to public safety and may affect the stability of power supply. Despite measures to help contractors identify cable routes, repeated noncompliance continues to jeopardise the network and surrounding communities,” he added.

SEB teams are available to assist contractors with cable route identification and safe-work planning.

All contractors must ‘Call Before You Dig’ and coordinate with the company before commencing any excavation.

They are reminded that damage to electrical assets is a breach of safety regulations and may result in repair cost recovery, financial penalties or legal action.

Members of the public may report outages or suspicious activity near electrical facilities by contacting SEB Customer Care Centre at 1300-88-3111, emailing [email protected], using the SEB cares mobile app or web portal, or engaging with the virtual agent Carina.