The Tribune

An electrical fire at the Blue Hills Power Station triggered an island-wide power outage in New Providence early this morning after a suspected underground cable fault caused the explosion of a transformer, according to Bahamas Power and Light (BPL).

In its first update around 4am, BPL said an electrical fire at the station had resulted in the complete loss of power supply across New Providence.

The company later said preliminary investigations indicate that a suspected underground cable fault caused the explosion of a 15MVA transformer at the Blue Hills Power Station, leading to the island-wide outage.

The fire was safely extinguished and repair crews began working to restore service, although BPL initially said there was no estimated timeline for the return of electricity.

By 6am, the company reported that restoration efforts were underway, with communities being brought back online in stages to ensure the safety and stability of the electricity grid.

At 6.30am, BPL said power had been restored to Bonita Bay, SC McPherson, Winton 1 and 2, Harold Road, and portions of Yellow Elder and Stapleton Gardens.

A short time later, the company announced that electricity had also been restored to Paradise Island, East Street South, South Beach Estates, Pinewood, Marshall Road, Bamboo Town, Fox Hill Road and portions of Prince Charles.

By 7am, power had also been restored to Gladstone Road, Firetrail Road, portions of Carmichael Road and Sears Road.

In its latest update at 7.18am, BPL said electricity had been restored to approximately 50 percent of consumers on New Providence.

The company said teams remain on the ground working to restore power to the remaining customers as safely and quickly as possible.

Customers in areas reported as restored who are still without electricity are being asked to contact BPL's 24-hour call centre at 225-5275 to report their outage.

BPL has apologised for the disruption and thanked consumers for their patience as restoration efforts continue.