Moscow escapes blackout after fire at electric substation

Moscow, May 18 (UNI) Firefighters have put out a fire at an electric substation in here, which threatened the capital's power supply.

The blaze started while new equipment was being tested at the Chagino plant in the south-east of the city.

''Repair work is taking place at the substation, during which new equipment is being tested. A new transformer, not connected to the power grid, was being tested and a fire broke out. This will not affect the work of the substation itself,'' spokesperson of the Federal Grid Company, Olga Kindyashova told RIA Novosti news agency.

Russian Emergencies Ministry said about 20 fire crews and a helicopter worked for hours to put out the flames. The alarm concerning a fire on the territory of the substation was raised Saturday at 1720 hrs Moscow time. There are no reports of casualties.

Three years ago, a blast at the same substation left several Moscow districts and dozens of towns near the capital without electricity for several hours. It was reported as the biggest energy accident in Russia and cost the country 70 million dollars.

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