An ESCOM transformer has caught fire Friday evening at Bvumbwe near Bindula Market in Thyolo District, disrupting power supply in the area.

According to an eyewitness, Victor Chimkango, the incident occurred around 7 p.m. and marks the second time in two months that the same transformer has caught fire.

Residents have expressed frustration, saying despite previous reports to the Thyolo ESCOM office, the utility company has not yet fixed the problem permanently.

Chimkango said, “The transformer is burning again. This has happened before, but ESCOM never came to repair it properly.”

The fire has raised safety concerns among traders and residents around Bindula Market, who fear possible damage to nearby property.

Efforts to get a comment from ESCOM officials were not immediately successful.