Trackback URL
Download PDF Fault in one of the age-old underground high-voltage cables caused the two-hour blackout at Zia International Airport (ZIA) on Sunday, found two probe committees.
Following the power outage, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism formed two committees the same night to probe the incident that shut down all operations of the country’s leading international airport.
Both the committees submitted their reports to the secretary of civil aviation and tourism ministry on Wednesday, within the stipulated timeframe.
“The supply line of Desco [Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd] tripped as earthing [grounding] was created at the water plant point of ZIA due to the fault of a high-voltage cable,” probe committee sources at the CAAB told The Daily Star last night.
The probe committee of CAAB in its report recommended replacing the high-voltage electric cables and other electrical equipment including the panel board at ZIA power plant. It also urged the authorities to properly equip engineers and staff members who handle electrical problems at ZIA.
Sample of the cable that burned out would be sent for laboratory tests for further investigation, said Air Commodore Sakib Khan Majlish, chairman of CAAB.
Representatives from Poly Cables, the supplier of the cable, visited the scene and offered replacement of all the cables they supplied to ZIA, said CAAB sources.
“There are 17 or 18 high-voltage [11 thousand volts each] cable lines at ZIA and a stretch of four to five inches of one of the cables burned out, causing the Desco line to trip,” a member of the probe committee told The Daily Star requesting anonymity.
Though ZIA was established long time ago in 1979, most of its electrical equipment did not undergo any renovation, claimed another probe committee member of CAAB.
In an unprecedented incident on Sunday night, ZIA ground to a virtual standstill, raising alarms over the security of the airport.
Comments are not moderated and only expresses personal views of visitors. BangladeshNews.com.bd is not responsible for commets posted by visitors.
Leave a Reply