Blast at electrical facility leaves sections of Enugu without power

Friday night's explosion at the Gariki Injection Substation triggered a power outage in multiple areas of Enugu metropolis, with communities relying on the Army and Gariki 11kV feeders being left without electricity.

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The cause of the outage was attributed to damage from the explosion, as disclosed by Emeka Ezeh, Head of Communications at MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited, in a statement issued on Friday.

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MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited notified its customers that the ongoing power outage affecting those served by the Army and Gariki 11kV feeders was a direct result of the explosion at the Gariki Injection Substation, which occurred on Friday, July 17, 2026, at approximately 7:30 p.m.

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The incident specifically impacted the indoor 11kV breaker at the injection substation, according to the company's statement.

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Areas impacted by the outage on the Army 11kV feeder include Army Barracks, One Day Road, Meniru, Upper Meniru, and Joe Continental.

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Communities affected by the Gariki 11kV feeder outage include Gariki Market, Mayor Market, Roban Stores on Agbani Road, Crunchies, Mobile Police Barracks, Amechi Road, Upper Mount, Ikiriki, Emeka Ebila, Ozalla Street, Egbonnaji, Nnaji Ogbodo, Idaw River, Igbariam Street, Liberation, Mount, Umuchu, Achina, Vance, Unubi, Enugu Agidi, Amawbia, Amokwe, Kenneth, Amah, and Hill Crest.

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MainPower's technical team has initiated an assessment of the damaged equipment and commenced restoration work, according to Emeka Ezeh.

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Ezeh apologized for the inconvenience caused by the outage and urged customers to be patient while restoration efforts are ongoing.

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Earlier in the year, the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission downgraded some of MainPower's feeders after determining they failed to meet the minimum daily electricity supply requirements for specific customer categories.

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MainPower assumed responsibility for electricity distribution in Enugu State following the restructuring of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company's operations under the state's electricity market reforms.