Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan says that a "cable fault" in a 6.6 kilovolt underground cable caused a serious power outage in Bukit Panjang, which left almost the whole neighborhood in darkness for an hour on Tuesday night.
19 blocks in Bukit Panjang were thrown into complete darkness on Tuesday night. Electricity supply was cut at 10.08PM, with power gradually restored from 10.52PM onwards. Full power was restored by 11.18PM.
The affected blocks along Petir Road, Cashew Road and Pending Road were in areas represented by Dr Balakrishnan and Bukit Panjang MP, Dr Teo Ho Pin. The minister said he had been informed almost immediately by affected residents.
"Our main priority was safety as the blackout affected traffic lights, lifts and corridors," said Dr Balakrishnan. Town council emergency response teams were deployed in case people had to be rescued.
Said Dr Balakrishnan: "I drove to the affected area and made a house-call on a patient with a serious condition that made him dependent on a mechanical ventilator to breathe. The SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force) staff and I were able to confirm that he was not affected at all by this incident.
"I am very grateful to SCDF as they had to carry all their equipment up eight flights of stairs. They were professional and cheerful."
For residents, when the blackout happened, most were already at home. The main inconvenience was the lack of fans or air-conditioning to beat the heat, they said.
Editor's Note:
Do you have a story to share? Please use our submission form or email us at editorial@allsingaporestuff.com. If not, why not give us a 'Like'?