Residents of Gurugu electoral area in the Sagnarigu municipality are currently experiencing a power outage due to the breakage of electricity poles caused by a heavy windstorm.
The windstorm, which lasted for approximately 15 minutes before the onset of rain, resulted in the breakdown of two poles and severe damage to two others due to the wind’s pressure.
Areas from the Choggu roundabout through to Gurugu to Kamina Barracks have been without electricity since 4 pm on Wednesday. The outage was caused by the windstorm that preceded an hour-long rain, leading to the breakage of some electricity poles.
An eyewitness speaking to Citi News described the incident and mentioned that some motorists were reluctant to change their route to avoid the fallen cables on the road.
Paulina Ngmennasong, Pharmacist technician at Xerion pharmacy recounted the incident to Citi News in an interview stated that “We were in the pharmacy and heard a heavy sound and thought it was our roof, little did we know it was the two electricity poles in front of our pharmacy that fell with electrical cables and gadgets on it.
“Due to that, it affected the whole area and the main road, so the road was blocked, and vehicles couldn’t pass, we tried stopping the riders, but some were adamant.”
Some residents took action by using empty drums and sticks to block the road until the electricity company arrived to take over, according to an eyewitness.
Alhassan Illiasu, the assemblyman for the Gurugu electoral area, commended the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) for their prompt response and presence on-site to address the situation. He also mentioned that the contractors have assured residents of their commitment to restoring power as soon as possible.