Three Power Poles Collapse in Sidoarjo, Surabaya–Mojokerto Route Blocked

Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds struck the Taman district, Sidoarjo, on Friday (6/3) afternoon. As a result, three electricity poles and a billboard collapsed.

This incident triggered a long traffic jam on the main route connecting Surabaya and Mojokerto. Traffic Police Sector Taman’s Chief of Section (Kanit Lantas) Iptu Heri Nurcahyo said the incident occurred at 15:10 Western Indonesian Time (WIB). The material from the electricity poles lying across the road nearly brought traffic to a standstill from both directions.

‘We and the Taman Police sector members immediately went to the scene to regulate traffic so it wouldn’t get even more congested,’ Heri said on Friday (6/3).

To avoid the risk of electric shock to road users and officers on the ground, the electrical flow around the site had to be switched off temporarily.

‘At the moment, officers are carrying out evacuations and cutting cables dangling across the roadway,’ Heri added.

Heri confirmed there were no fatalities in this incident. However, he urged motorists to remain vigilant and follow officers’ instructions at the scene for everyone’s safety.

Meanwhile, PLN’s West Surabaya Customer Service Unit (UP3 Surabaya Barat) deployed at least 63 personnel to restore electrical infrastructure damaged by the billboard.

PLN UP3 Surabaya Barat Manager, Chyntia Dewi Ariyani, explained that the authorities are working to minimize the duration of the power outage by performing network maneuvers.

‘Restoration efforts include localizing the affected substations, reconstructing substations for normalisation, and repairing the broken poles that were affected,’ she said.

She also urged the public to proactively report potential electrical hazards via the PLN Mobile app to speed up response at other vulnerable points.