Telegraph
Rebels hit tower
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Raipur, April 30: Maoist guerrillas yesterday night blew up an electricity supply tower and plunged more than 700 villages into darkness in the interiors of Bijapur.

Around 10pm, heavily-armed Maoists stormed in and raided Bodli village in Bijapur district, some 550km south of the state capital. “They fixed the explosives on the tower and detonated it,” said Bijapur superintendent of police Ankit Garg.

The 33KV tower was supplying power in the entire southern part of Bijapur. As the supply was disrupted after the tower collapsed, more than 700 villages in the area were plunged into darkness. While villagers spent the night without electricity, the impact was felt only today when patients in the health centres had to face problems in the scorching heat. Even water supply was disrupted at many places.

“The power company officials and technical staff were sent to the blast site today in the morning under heavy security,” Garg said.

The entire pocket comes under the worst hit Maoist area in Bastar. The team took up the work on a war footing.

“The damage was not serious and hence, the power company officials managed to erect it in the day,” Garg said, adding that most probably, the power supply would be restored by late evening today.