Parts of Mindanao are experiencing power interruption after an explosion hit a tower of the National Grid Corporation (NGCP) in Lanao del Sur on Monday afternoon.

According to the NGCP, the explosion hit and toppled the NGCP Tower No. 8 of the Baloi-Aurora 138kV Transmission Line located in Sitio San Isidro, Brgy. Bagumbayan, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.

The NGCP said the line that tripped at 4:50 pm because of the explosion has resulted in the Manual Load Dropping to prevent overloading of the remaining line.

"Areas affected by the MLD are the entire Zamboanga Peninsula, namely Zamboanga del Norte (including Dipolog City and Dapitan City), Zamboanga del Sur (including Pagadian City and Zamboanga City), Zamboanga Sibugay, entire Misamis Occidental, and parts of Lanao del Norte," it stated.

Brig. Gen.Antonio Nafarrete, 1st Infantry Division commander, said in a text message two explosions were heard by troops based in Inudaran Detachment based in Kauswagan.

Col. Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, said policemen and military troops, who rushed to the explosion site, found a wounded person “and later verified as dead”.

Verceles said the police of Kauswagan has coordinated with the Lanao del Norte Provincial Explosive Ordnance Demolition and Canine Unit and Forensic Unit for crime scene processing.

“It is unclear if his death is related to the bombing (of the tower),” NCGP public affairs officer Elizabeth Ladaga said in a statement.

“Responding authorities confirmed that lawless elements used IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) to bomb the tower,” she added.

The NGCP said repair of the tower will commence as soon as the government authorities have secured the area.

"NGCP is currently coordinating with local law enforcement to secure the area as repairs are to be done by NGCP personnel," it said.

"The company stresses that bombings only serve to increase the burden of the public, which must suffer through power interruptions when towers are bombed," it added.

NGCP said conduct of suspicious activities within or along the power transmission corridor which may disrupt the transmission of power is punishable by law, with a penalty of as much as P200,000 or 12 years imprisonment, or both. Robina Asido/DMS