After a two-month investigation into the fire incident at Chang Debsi in Thimphu, the Electricity Regulatory Authority has concluded that the Bhutan Power Corporation, BPC, is not responsible for the incident. Officials said that their assessment of the electrical poles and a transformer in the area has concluded that BPC holds no liabilities regarding the cause of the fire. The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained.
The investigation found that before the fire, poles, cables, and a transformer in the area were functioning properly.
Earlier interviews with the residents of Chang Debsi revealed that they heard an explosion from the area where the transformer is situated. This led to suspicions that sparks from the transformer or the cable lines may have caused the fire.
According to an official from the Electricity Regulatory Authority, the circuit breaker for the transformer showed signs of malfunction only an hour after the fire started.
He added that if the fire was caused by glitches on the transformer, the tripping record should have shown before the fire started.
The official also added that the fire instead caused damage to the transformer.
According to the official, upon investigation, it was found that electrical wires running above the transformers had no possibility of snapping against each other to cause a spark.
The investigation report also cites that visual evidence from the residents shows the fire initially started from an area 12 metres south of the transformer.
It was also found during the investigation that wind in Debsi blows from south to north. The ERA official added that had the transformer created the sparks, the fire would have started from the north and not south of the transformer.
Furthermore, officials added that the transformer in the area was upgraded in October 2021.
The ERA also clarified that besides the technical assessment, they have no involvement in the compensation process for the people affected by the incident.
Namgay Dema
Edited by Sonam Pem
