A family and a small business are counting their losses after a power outage on Saturday caused damage to household and commercial electrical appliances.

Lemalu Asuaso, the owner of a local store in Fusi, Safata, said the outage damaged his refrigerator and a fan, raising concerns about spoiled goods and unexpected repair costs. He said the power went off and came back suddenly, which he believes caused the damage.

“This affects my business directly,” Lemalu said. “The fridge is important for keeping food fresh, and now I don’t know how much it will cost to fix or replace.”

The family of Lumepa Leva'a in Matautu also reported damage to their property following the outage. According to the family, several electric fans stopped working, while electrical wires inside the house were burned, creating safety concerns.

Lumepa said the family was worried the burned wires could have caused a fire. “We were lucky nothing worse happened,” she said. “Now we have to repair the wiring before we can safely use electricity again.”

Both the family and the store owner are calling for better management of power outages, saying sudden power surges continue to put homes and livelihoods at risk.

Under the law, the Electric Power Corporation cannot be taken to court for the damages done by power surges and blackouts.