Power Restored to Rosario Macrocenter After Transformer Explosion
A transformer station explosion and subsequent fire caused a major power outage in the macrocenter of Rosario, Argentina, early Tuesday morning. The incident occurred at , at 6:18 AM at the facilities located on Sarmiento Street at 300, near the Simeoni passageway and in front of the Pami 1 sanatorium. Approximately 50 minutes later, the situation was under control and service was fully restored.
According to Rosario firefighters, an explosion occurred in a capacitor bank, and the damage was contained to that area. Columns of smoke were observed rising from the station following the detonation, one of the largest and oldest in the area. Firefighters and volunteers responded to the scene.
No injuries were reported, and the flames were quickly extinguished. However, EPE (Empresa Provincial de la Energía) urged residents to file claims if they were still experiencing low-voltage issues at 0342 5 101 000.
The incident caused a power outage throughout much of the macrocenter, also impacting public lighting and traffic signals. The situation began to normalize after 7:15 AM. Traffic was interrupted on Sarmiento Street at 300.
EPE personnel evaluated the damage to the station, which is key to the electrical distribution of the Rosario macrocenter, and found it to be minor. Preliminary reports indicate a material failure caused the capacitor bank fire, but a complete report on the incident was expected later in the day. Capacitors, described as being similar to batteries but charging and discharging almost instantly, are essential for filtering, stabilizing voltages, and correcting power in circuits.
This incident follows a similar event in July 2025, when a widespread power outage affected a large part of Rosario for approximately an hour and a half. EPE reported a failure in several transformer stations – Centro, Sur, Sarmiento, and Catamarca – as the cause of that blackout. Crews restored power by rerouting some areas through temporary connections to active substations.
In a separate incident, an EPE transformer exploded in the southern zone of Rosario, leaving several neighborhoods without power. That explosion occurred on Centeno Street at 900.
