Cable repaired, power supply to Koh Phangan island resumes

Repairs to the damaged underwater cable supplying electricity to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan were completed on Monday night, after widespread blackouts since Monday morning.

The Provincial Electricity Authority said on Tuesday that the 115kv underwater cable between Khanom district in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Koh Samui was repaired and supply resumed at 8.28pm on Monday.

The Khanom power plant began supplying power to all areas of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan on Monday night. Six mobile power-generating trucks which had been deployed to the affected areas were no longer needed.

PEA district manager Jakkrit Meedet said the power situation on Koh Samui had not been critical. Monday’s blackout was a “normal accident”.

The PEA would hire a firm to make an underwater survey and find out what caused the damage to the cable, which supplies the Koh Samui power plant 2 in tambon Mae Nam of Koh Samui district.

The cable was earlier reported to have been damaged by an anchor dropped by HTMS Anthong, about two kilometres off Samui island. The blackout began on Monday at 8.07am.

Tuesday’s announcement made no reference to the anchor or the ship.

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Photo credit @ Amy Elting via Unsplash