About 200,000 people were affected when a energy tower exploded early Friday morning in an attack allegedly by the armed guerrilla group FARC in Colombia’s west.
The attack on an energy tower that supplied power to a wide area in the south of the state Tolima took place Friday at 5:30 am.
The incident occurred little over half a mile from the urban area of the city Chaparral where two large electrical service structures of 115,000 volt were demolished and left several cities without power.
It is estimated that around 200,000 people in cities and towns across Tolima will be without electricity until repairs of the tower are completed. These are expected to take at least two days.
The area is surrounded by police and military seeking to establish the whereabouts of the perpetrators. At the same time Commander of Task Force Zeus, Gen. Jorge Enrique Maldonado, told El Tiempo: “It’s a bomb attack by terrorists from the 21st Front of the FARC. People were convinced that the FARC had left behind these attacks that directly affect the citizens and development of the region ,” the general continued.
“It is inconceivable and unacceptable that while peace talks are being held in Cuba, the electrical infrastructure is destroyed in Tolima by terrorist,” The Govenor of Tolima, Luis Carlos Delgado told El Tiempo.
The Mayor of Chaparral, Hugo Arce, stated that the economic losses caused by the explosion are incalculable. He also told El Tiempo that this action caused anxiety and fear among the population, and continued: ” The business activities of the city have been affected and trade has been paralyzed. Without energy we can not do anything,” he said.