Sambalpur: Power services were severely disrupted after a major fire broke out at Chiplima Powerhouse in Odisha's Sambalpur district on Monday. 

The fire reportedly broke out in the switchyard late in the night. Fire services arrived at the spot immediately and carried out operations all night long to contain the blaze. The extent of damage is being investigated. No injuries have been reported so far.

Fire services acted swifty but restoration to take time

As per reports, the current transformer in Circuit-2 - where electricity is generated - exploded triggering the fire. preliminary probe revealed that the cable from the main control room was also burnt. 

Following the incident, surrounding areas and those receiving electricity from the unit faced prolonged power outage. While Fire tenders deployed at the scene started dousing the flames immediately and the blaze was successfully contained. However, sources said the restoration of power services will take time given the severity of the inferno.

The incident has raised serious concerns about power plant fire control guidelines and awareness. It has also reinforced the need for regular fire safety inspections, evaluations and maintenance of equipment and training of personnel at the plant site in order to reduce the risk of such accidental fires.

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