Power was knocked out for about 900 customers in the Gander Bay area Monday after vandals cut down a power pole, leaving the power lines on the ground.
In a statement to VOCM News, Newfoundland Power says the incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Monday. They say the vandals cut down the pole, as well as a large tree in the Davidsville area.
The resulting damage knocked out the power to residents in Main Point, Carmanville, Noggin Cove, and Frederickton. Most had their power back within two hours, but some had to wait until around 10:00 p.m.
Newfoundland Power is condemning the actions of the vandals.
They say they cannot emphasize strongly enough the seriousness and danger of damaging energized, high voltage electrical equipment that’s connected to the provincial grid.
They say it creates a serious safety risk for everyone, and compromises the reliability and integrity of the system.
They say the incident is being investigated by the RCMP.