There is health-damaging smoke in Uummannaq after the power plant caught fire on Monday. Firefighters from Ilulissat are now on their way to Uummannaq to help put out the fire.
Firefighters from Ilulissat are now on their way up to Uummannaq to help put out the fire in the electricity plant in Uummannaq, which broke out on Monday morning. Avannaata Kommunia has informed this, the self-government says in a press release.
– Naalakkersuisut takes the situation seriously and follows developments closely. We trust that Nukissiorfiit and the local emergency authorities will handle the situation in the best possible way and work to ensure the necessary supplies for the citizens of Uummannaq as quickly as possible, says Naalakkersuisoq for Environment, Nature, Energy and Research, Jørgen Rosbach.
By late Monday afternoon, the fire was under control. Naalakkersuisut states in their press release that the cause of the fire has not yet been found.
Earlier in the day, the Greenland Police urged citizens to keep doors and windows closed, as there is health-damaging smoke due to the fire. There are roadblocks around Nukissiorfiit’s building.
Connections are affected
Due to the fire, there is no electricity supply in Uummannaq. However, Nukissiorfiit announces that work is being done to restore the electricity supply in the city.
The power outage means that connections to TV, radio, mobile telephony and the Internet may be affected in the city. But it is not only Uummannaq that risks experiencing reduced or no connection if the fire continues:
– There is full radio coverage and partial TV coverage in Uummannaq. Mobilsites is not connected to an emergency generator and is currently running on battery power. When the batteries run out, mobile connections will gradually drop out. We have reduced the power consumption to extend the operating time.
– One mobile site handles the connection to Saattut. When the battery on this site runs out, Saattut will lose connection. The emergency generator is operational and we do not expect it to run out anytime soon. If it stops, Uummannaq and all areas to the north will lose connections, Tusass writes in an update on their website.
