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Explosions after power surges in Whitstable area leave thousands without electricity

14:07, 15 April 2023

updated: 15:13, 15 April 2023

Thousands of people have been left without power following a series of explosions on a high-voltage line - with one blast captured on camera.

The outage has impacted homes across a stretch of coastline at Whitstable, from Seasalter to Swalecliffe.

It was caused by a fault on an overhead electricity line at Faversham Road in Seasalter, triggering explosions one resident likened to "bombs going off".

Daniel Butler, whose house overlooks the site, set up a mobile phone to capture the power surges in action after hearing two explosion.

He told Kent Online: "There were three explosions after 3am, 15 to 20 minutes apart.

"The first two woke me up and I decided to get ready to film, assuming there would be another one.

The third explosion captured on film. Picture: Daniel Butler
The third explosion captured on film. Picture: Daniel Butler
Dan Butler captured one of the explosions on his mobile phone. Picture: Daniel Butler
Dan Butler captured one of the explosions on his mobile phone. Picture: Daniel Butler

"It was so loud it was like bombs going off and they made my house shake. It was really scary."

Mr Butler has an eight-month-old baby son, River, who woke up crying because of the explosions and the sleep of his partner, Emma, a paramedic, was also shattered.

Mr Butler commented: "She said: 'Bloody hell, did you hear that?'

"It was such an unexpected noise and incredibly loud.

"After each explosion the power in our home kept going off, but soon afterwards would come back on.

Workers subsequently carrying out repairs today. Picture: Daniel Butler
Workers subsequently carrying out repairs today. Picture: Daniel Butler

"The power authority sent me a text in those early hours to say about 3,000 properties had lost electricity.

"Mine is back on now but I know it is not in other parts of Seasalter."

On its website, UK Power Networks says four post code areas affected.

It adds: "We're investigating a high voltage overhead electricity line fault which has caused a power cut in the local area."

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