Short circuit: Transformer explosion injures five

FAISALABAD:

An electricity transformer in at Qaim Saeen Road exploded on Tuesday, injuring five people.

They were taken to Allied Hospital, where two of them were in critical condition.

Rescue officials said that a short-circuit had caused the explosion. Five passers-by - Muhammad Ashraf, 30, Yasir Akbar, 29, Ashfaq Ishaq, 30, Umar Farooq, 29, and Allah Rakha, 22 - were burned. Doctors said Ashraf and Akbar were critical.

The explosion was heard several kilometers away. Abu Sufiyan, a resident of Abadi Darbar Qaim Saeen, said the transformer had developed a fault a few days ago and started tripping frequently.

He said Fesco officials had been called and a linesman had told the residents that the transformer did not have a major fault. He said that one of its jumpers was loose and this was causing sparks.

A Fesco linesman said the short-circuit was caused by the transformer heating up. Ghulam Muhammadabad police received no complaint for an FIR.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2013.