“It seems that a lightning strike caused the almost Visayas-wide blackout.”
This was the initial finding of the investigation conducted by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
Betty Martinez, NGCP spokesperson told The Bohol Tribune in a message on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021 that the massive blackout experienced in some parts of Cebu, the entire area of Leyte, Samar and the whole of Bohol was caused by a lightning strike.
The blackout threw the said areas into darkness starting at around 11:56 pm on Aug. 20, 2021, according to reports.
According to Martinez the exact line where the lightning struck is still under investigation, as of press time.
She said that the Colon-Cebu 138kV transmission lines 1, 2 and 3 and Colon-Quiot 138kV transmission line, simultaneously tripped off at around 11:56 pm late Friday night causing a domino effect that resulted into a massive blackout.
Martinez explained that once the system detects a network disturbance such as the tripping off of several lines, a protection mechanism is put in place which would result in a blackout.
The Negros and Panay portions of the grid were spared from the blackout, she added.
As this developed, Martinez said that gradual restoration of power transmission services to affected power customers of NGCP started in Cebu at 12:52 am, early Saturday morning, Aug. 21, 2021, as Leyte-Samar was energized at 5:46 am, Saturday morning and in Bohol, at 5:48 am.
