A lightning strike caused another power failure throughout Viti Levu yesterday morning.

According to the Fiji Electricity Authority, the lightning struck at 10.39am hitting the 132,000 volts Wailoa to Cunningham transmission line causing it to trip and isolate power supply to the entire Viti Levu customers.

Authority CEO Hasmukh Patel said the power outage was caused by a fault which was established to have occurred 46km from the Wailoa substation on the transmission line to Cunningham Rd substation.

“FEA employees and an overseas contractor was working on transmission tower no. 117 at Waibau today (yesterday) and they reported a severe lightning strike on the transmission line approximately 5 towers towards Wailoa from where they were working.

“The lightning strike was of such a severity that the FEA team and the overseas contractor had to immediately suspend their work for safety reasons.

“Electricity supply to all the customers was fully restored by 1:10 pm.

“The authority sincerely apologises for all inconvenience caused.”