SEB: Power outages in Bukit Assek on Dec 23 caused by multiple underground cable faults

KUCHING (Dec 30): The power outages affecting Bukit Assek residents in Sibu on Dec 23 and Dec 27 were caused by multiple underground cable faults, said Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB).

The utility company in a statement today said they conducted a thorough investigation and subsequently rectified the issue.

“Sarawak Energy’s utility arm Syarikat Sesco Berhad (Sesco) deployed its technical team immediately upon receiving the outage reports.

“On Dec 23, supply was restored to affected customers within two hours through alternate feeders. However, adverse weather conditions on Dec 27 extended the restoration time to almost five hours,” it said.

Sarawak Energy Central Region manager Effendy Syaiful Abdullah said mitigation plans for Bukit Assek are already in place and are actively being executed to enhance supply reliability for customers within the area.

“We sincerely apologise to the affected customers for any inconvenience caused, especially during this holiday season. Safety is our priority and our team has been working very hard to minimise interruptions and restore supply promptly upon receiving outage reports. However, some delays were inevitable given the rainy season.

“Rest assured we have made significant investments in our Smart Grid initiative to enhance supply reliability in the area. We seek your patience and understand that while we are expediting the completion, this is a large-scale project and requires time to ensure its readiness,” he said.

Meanwhile, the statement said SEB continues to monitor its assets conditions and kindly requests the public’s cooperation to report any power outages.

Its technical team is on standby 24 hours a day and is ready to respond immediately to such situations.

Members of the public can contact Sarawak Energy’s 24/7 Customer Care Centre at 1300-88-3111 or email [email protected].

Additionally, they can utilise the SEB Cares mobile app or chat with virtual agent CARINA to report electricity supply outages or any suspicious activities near Sarawak Energy’s facilities.