Abnormally high voltage guts electrical appliances in Chinsali neighborhood

Residents of Location Area in Chinsali District have threatened to take legal action against ZESCO after property worth millions of kwacha was gutted after a transformer developed a fault and supplied more voltage than the normal domestic supply to their residences and trading premises.

Scores of irate ZESCO power consumers stormed ZANIS offices to register their displeasure at the manner local ZESCO management is handling their crisis when they reported the matter saying the reception given to customers lacked a professional customer- service provider relationship.

They said this is the second time electrical and electronic household property has been burnt without any compensation. They accused ZESCO of gross negligence since they were aware of the faulty transformer which even last year caused damage to their valuables.

The irate residents, mostly civil servants and council workers lamented that deep freezers, computers, Hi-Fi machines and other valuables have been damaged beyond repair after a ZESCO power transformer developed a fault after 22 hours when the majority were fast asleep and started supplying abnormal power supply that ultimately damaged their valuable property.

Ms. Maggie Mwansa lamented that she was working on her laptop computer in the night when she heard a loud bang in the kitchen only to realize that her deep freezer had blown off .

And sources from the Police Camp told ZANIS that the entire camp which receives less than 200 volts in all the 28 houses experienced normal supply that particular night until the following morning when ZESCO workers disconnected the faulty transformer.

Efforts to get comment from the ZESCO manager failed as he referred all queries to their head office in Lusaka who by press time could not be reached.