Chisinau local authorities to investigate the situation of the city electricity infrastructure

Chisinau local authorities will investigate the situation of the city electricity infrastructure, in order to prevent future incidents similar to the one that happened on Tuesday, June 26. On that day, more than a half of the buildings in Chisinau were left in blackout because of the strong wind. On Wednesday, June 27, Chisianu Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca revealed to the press his regret that the Chisinau residents were affected by the power failure. He also said that by Wednesday evening the power supply was resumed in all the Chisinau suburbs. Vasile Mamaliga, Deputy Minister of Industry and Infrastructure, told reporters that the power failure was caused by the storm that downed several 110 kV high-voltage pillars. The vice minister noted that damage was produced in two regions of Chisinau, particularly around Muncesti and Uzinelor Streets and in Sculeni area. Mamaliga explained that the pillars collapsed because they exceeded their lifespan, which is 20 years. Though the mentioned pillars belong to the power supplier Union Fenosa, Mamaliga refrained from criticising the company, adding that Union Fenosa is performing the restoration of the power network in compliance with the contract terms. On Wednesday, June 27, in a meeting of the Committee for Emergency Situations, Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev rated satisfactory the activity of the institutions in charge of preventing and remedying the effects of natural disasters. According to Tarlev, the central public administration did a good job during the recent calamities, unlike the local public administration bodies that “were busy with the local elections”. The prime minister requested the Emergency Situations Department to organise trainings for the newly elected local administration officers, who are not experienced in organising activities to fight natural disasters. Prior to that, Info-Prim Neo released a communiqué of the company “Union Fenosa”, which says that the strong wind that blew in Chisinau on Tuesday, June 26, cut the electricity supply in many of the city neighbourhoods. For that reason, 133 thousands households from the districts Botanica, Buiucani, Centru and the outskirts, as well as dwellings from Ialoveni and Anenii Noi stayed without electricity for several hours. Union Fenosa affirms that in order to counteract the effects of the calamity, they have immediately organized measures to restore the power supply in the affected areas. At the same time they have performed operations to separate the damaged sectors. In order to re-establish the electricity supply in all the localities affected by the calamities, teams of repairmen have been employed to do all the repair work in the city and throughout the country.