Power-hungry residents put up barricades on Shah Mostafa Road in Moulvibazar town, damaged two vehicles of Power Development Board (PDB) and beat up its officials Sunday night.

Witnesses said an electric pole with a 250-kilovolt transformer atop collapsed at Shah Mostafa Road at about noon on Sunday, disrupting power and water supply in most areas of Mopulvibazar town. The areas include Dorga Mohalla, Lake Road, Shah Mostafa Road, Muslim Quarter, Sultanpur and Kazirgaon.

As PDB failed to replace the electric pole and the transformer till Sunday night, agitated people put up barricades on the road.

They also damaged PDB vehicles and beat up its men as they came to the spot Sunday night.

Vehicles to and from Dhaka,

Fenchuganj and Sylhet used a diversion road as the road was blocked.

The road was reopened when people removed the barricades yesterday evening after PDB high officials assured them that power supply would be restored as soon as possible.

PDB assistant engineer Md. Irfanul Haq said, the electric pole along with the 250-kilovolt transformer collapsed during earth dragging by labourers enagged by Roads and Highways Department (RHD), which is implementing a road expansion proeject in the area.

The PDB engineer said the damaged transformer was sent to Sylhet for repair.

If the damaged transformer can not be repaired, PDB will bring a new transformer from Chittagong and it will take 2-3 days to replace the transformer and restore power supply, he said.