Cotabato city: A stray bullet from a fatal shooting triggered a fire on a power transmission tower, causing a six-hour brownout across Cotabato City and parts of Maguindanao del Norte and North Cotabato Sunday night. The incident left residents without electricity, creating a significant disruption in the area.
According to Philippines News Agency, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines reported an emergency shutdown at 6:32 p.m. after a conductor arced on a tower near the Sultan Kudarat Substation. The arc was possibly caused by a stray bullet striking the tower, leading to the power outage.
Power was fully restored by 12:57 a.m. Monday, bringing relief to the affected areas. The quick restoration efforts were crucial in minimizing the impact of the outage on the local communities.
Police reported that a security guard was shot dead by unidentified gunmen along the national highway near the NGCP facility in Barangay Crossing Simuay around 6:30 p.m. The incident is under investigation as authorities work to identify the perpetrators.
The Cotabato Light and Power Company and NGCP expressed gratitude to customers for their patience during the outage. They assured the public of close coordination efforts to maintain stable service and prevent future occurrences.
