The Electricity Corporation of Lebanon has issued a statement regarding large-scale thefts in the northern Bekaa region, particularly in the outskirts of the town of Makna in the Baalbek district. The thefts involve the corners of the iron grilles supporting the high-voltage towers which have not stopped and are still ongoing. This has resulted in five towers being toppled and stolen in one week, including two new towers of 220 kV, No. 19 and 20.
The Corporation’s maintenance teams have been attempting to save the towers that were stolen and have not yet fallen. However, during the past two days fourteen 66 kV towers adjacent to the 220 kV towers were stolen as well. These towers belong to the Baalbek-Labweh-Hermel 66 kV transmission line, which feeds the Labweh and Hermel stations. Its towers are close to falling, which might result in power outages in all areas of northern Bekaa.
The Corporation has appealed to all security agencies, specifically the Army Intelligence and Information Branch, as well as municipalities, parties, representatives of the region, and events to help reveal the identity of the perpetrators and arrest them immediately. The Corporation emphasizes the serious nature of the situation, with huge material losses and significant damage. Repairing this amount of damage is a challenge for the Corporation, and conducting a tender to rehabilitate the lines requires a lengthy process. The Corporation hopes that its appeal is immediately actioned before the citizens of Baalbek-Hermel governorate are deprived of electricity for long periods, potentially lasting for months.
central- The Electricity Corporation of Lebanon announced, in a statement, “In addition to its previous statement last week and its previous statements related to large-scale thefts in the northern Bekaa regions, specifically in the outskirts of the town of Makna in the Baalbek district, the thefts of the corners of the iron grilles supporting the high-voltage towers have not stopped and are still going on.” It has been going on for regarding a week, when two new towers of 220 kV, No. 19 and 20, were stolen and toppled, bringing the number of towers that were toppled and stolen in one week to five.
The maintenance teams of the Corporation intervened as soon as the infringements occurred and for regarding four days they have been trying to save the towers that were stolen and have not yet fallen, to discover that during the past two days the 66 kV towers adjacent to the 220 kV towers were also stolen, and there are fourteen towers from No. 52 Up to 65 and also in the outskirts of the town of Maqna, and these towers belong to the Baalbek-Labweh-Hermel 66 kV transmission line. This line directly feeds the Labweh and Hermel stations, and its towers are close to falling, which will inevitably lead to power outages in all areas of the northern Bekaa.
The Electricité du Liban Corporation has warned, through its previous statements, of the seriousness of what is happening and appealed and appeals once more to all security agencies, specifically the Army Intelligence and the Information Branch, and all municipalities, parties, representatives of the region and events, to help reveal the identity of the perpetrators and arrest them immediately. The material losses are huge and the size of the damage is large, and the corporation’s ability to repair this large amount of damage is very limited, and the process of conducting a tender to rehabilitate the lines requires quite a long time, especially since the violations are still continuing and did not stop throughout the past week.
The Electricity Corporation of Lebanon hoped to “immediately respond to its calls before the prohibition takes place and most of the citizens of Baalbek-Hermel governorate are deprived of electricity for long periods that may be months.”
In conclusion, the ongoing theft of electric towers in northern Bekaa regions has reached a critical point, with the Electricity Corporation of Lebanon warning of dire consequences such as prolonged power outages if the perpetrators are not apprehended soon. Despite the efforts of maintenance teams, the damage caused to the transmission lines is substantial, and the process of rehabilitation will take a long time. We urge all security agencies and local authorities to take immediate action to bring an end to these thefts and protect the citizens of Lebanon from further hardships. It’s time to act before it’s too late.
