komal.kumari@hindustantimes.com
A massive fire at the PSPCL storage yard in Doraha on Tuesday destroyed over 300 damaged transformers, resulting in an estimated loss of more than ₹1 crore, officials said. The blaze sent thick black smoke across the area and threatened a nearby 220 KV grid station, but major power infrastructure was saved in time, averting a bigger disaster.
A preliminary inquiry suspects the fire started after someone threw a burning ‘bidi’ near dry grass outside the yard.
Strong winds spread the flames rapidly into the premises where transformer oil and scrap intensified the fire, they said. Of around 7,000 damaged transformers stored in the yard, over 300 were gutted. Fire brigade teams doused the blaze.
Chief Engineer of PSPCL Central Zone, Jagdev Singh Hans, said the nearby 220-KV grid station narrowly escaped damage.
“More than 300 transformers have been damaged, and the department has suffered losses of over ₹1 crore. The 220 KV grid station was saved, otherwise the losses could have been much bigger,” he said.