Police Probe Sumatra Mass Blackout

The Directorate of Specific Criminal Acts (Dittipidter) of Bareskrim Police has deployed a team to investigate the cause of the blackout in several Sumatran regions on Friday (22/5). Director of Dittipidter Bareskrim Police Brigadier General Moh Irhamni stated the team was sent to the break point of the 175-176 kV transmission line in Tempino Village, Mestong Subdistrict, Muaro Jambi Regency, Jambi Province, on Sunday (24/5).

“Police are investigating the cause of the blackout in several Sumatran regions,” Irhamni said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.

The one-star general added that the Dittipidter Bareskrim team was accompanied by the Police Forensic Laboratory (Puslabfor) and PLN during the investigation.

“The team conducted site inspections today. Evidence in the form of broken conductors has been taken to Bareskrim’s Puslabfor and PLN’s Research and Development Centre for further examination,” he said.

Preliminary checks have not found any indication of intentional action causing the mass power outage in Sumatra.

“So far, there is no evidence of human intent behind the conductor breakage,” he added.

The mass power outage occurred in Sumatra on Friday (22/5) from 6:44 PM WIB. PLN stated that the Sumatra blackout was caused by severe weather affecting part of the Sumatran power system.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has directed PLN to improve the reliability of Sumatra’s backbone system through the construction of 500 kV/275 kV power plants and transmission lines, as well as strengthening subsystems in each province.