Pythons take over transformer as ECG staff risk life to restore power in Ahodwo

Engineers of the Electricity Company of Ghana in the Ashanti Region have defied a python invasion at one of their substations at Ahodwo to restore power to residents. The unusual incident highlights both the operational risks faced by utility workers and the challenges of maintaining infrastructure in environments where wildlife can interfere with critical systems.

At about 9 am on Wednesday, 24th April, 2026, residents along the Ahodwo-Daban-Dr. Asafo Adjei Road were plunged into an outage following a fault on the distribution line (feeder) serving the enclave. The outage disrupted daily activities for households and businesses in the area, including small enterprises that depend heavily on stable electricity supply.

The fault team from ECG's Ahinsan District was dispatched to investigate the cause of the outage and restore power to affected residents. Such rapid deployment is part of ECG’s standard response strategy to minimize downtime and restore essential services as quickly as possible.

The team managed to restore power to a section of the affected households, except for residents around the Cocoa Depot and Star Sawmill companies along the stretch. These areas remained without power due to complications linked to the faulty transformer that required further intervention.

The team, in a desperate attempt to resolve the challenge, proceeded to a nearby transformer to replace its fuse. This step was necessary to fully restore electricity to all affected customers and stabilize the distribution line.

Upon arriving at the site, the team sighted a python that had taken over the substation. The presence of such a large reptile posed a serious threat to both the engineers and the integrity of the electrical installation, as animals can cause short circuits or damage sensitive equipment.

The Ahinsan District Engineer, Kwaku Appiah, who confirmed the development to Myjoyonline, says attempts by residents to capture the python proved futile. The situation quickly escalated into a safety concern requiring both caution and urgency.

The python crawled beneath the substation to hide, as the team risked their lives to quickly replace the fuse and restore power. Despite the danger, the engineers prioritized restoring electricity to the affected communities, demonstrating commitment to service delivery under challenging conditions.

The Kumasi Zoo was contacted to assist with the capture. The officers, in an attempt to seize the first snake, sighted another. This unexpected discovery suggested that the substation had become a temporary habitat for the reptiles.

The reptiles are believed to have been inhabiting the substation for weeks, as they and their eggs were also retrieved about 9:00 pm on the same day. This raises concerns about routine inspection practices and the need for enhanced monitoring of substations to prevent wildlife intrusion.

ECG General Manager for the Ashanti West Region, George Amoah, is advising customers to report all outages via ECG channels or to use ECG stakeholders' WhatsApp platforms to ensure prompt resolution. He emphasized the importance of timely communication between customers and the company to improve response efficiency and maintain reliable service delivery.