Massive Substation Fire Plunges Parts of Johor Bahru Into Darkness

JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA — A major fire broke out at the KangkarTebrau Main Intake Substation (PMU), triggering widespread power outages across multiple districts in Johor Bahru and leaving two utility personnel injured.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:03 p.m. during routine maintenance work at the facility. According to statements from utility provider Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and the Johor Fire and Rescue Department, two contractor workers sustained electric shocks and injuries when the blaze ignited. Emergency medical services responded quickly, transporting both workers to Sultan Ismail Hospital for urgent medical treatment, where they are reported to be in stable condition.

The sudden trip in the high-voltage electrical grid plunged several prominent suburbs and commercial centers into darkness. Affected areas included Johor Jaya, Bandar Dato Onn, Taman Daya, Kempas, Bandar Ulu Tiram, and DesaTebrau.

The sudden loss of electricity disrupted thousands of residential homes, commercial plazas, and public amenities during the evening peak hour. Crucial intersections experienced significant traffic congestion as streetlights and traffic signals abruptly went offline, forcing traffic police officers to deploy to major intersections to direct vehicles manually.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel arrived at the KangkarTebrau facility to contain the blaze and secure the high-voltage equipment. TNB technical crews immediately initiated emergency load-transfer protocols to reroute electricity supply from auxiliary substations.

Through staged restoration efforts, full power was successfully restored to all affected districts within 77 minutes of the initial outage. TNB issued a public apology for the disruption and confirmed that a joint technical investigation with local authorities is currently underway to determine the precise cause of the electrical failure.

In light of the incident, TNB announced plans to conduct comprehensive safety audits across all primary electrical intake stations in the state to prevent similar operational disruptions and ensure the ongoing stability of the regional grid.