Report finds $800M embassy buildings could electrocute personnel

An unsettling new State Department report warns of potentially fatal electrical currents inside two well-populated buildings at the U.S. embassy complex in Afghanistan.

An investigation by the agency's inspector general reveals significant problems with the power systems in an office building and a staff residence. Combined, the buildings can accommodate about 1,200 people. The facility is located in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital.

Electricians examining the buildings — costing nearly $800 million — found that the office registered almost seven amps above the level that an electrical shock can kill someone. Amperage in the apartment building was almost three times the level in the office building.

The State Department organization responsible for the embassy complex, the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, says it has begun to fix the problems but downplayed the report's characterization of how significant the safety threat is, with officials saying "the readings in residential and public spaces were consistent with readings taken prior to building occupancy." Harmful electrical currents are limited to "locked and restricted mechanical and electrical rooms," officials said.

Investigators have countered, saying deadly electrical current could be present anywhere in the system until its source is located. They also scolded the bureau for doing a poor job of posting warning signs that clearly explain the danger and how to avoid it.

The embassy is staffed by hundreds of diplomats and support personnel. In addition, about two dozen Marine Corps security guards are on site, responsible for access control, safeguarding classified material and emergency response. In hot spots such as Kabul, the Marines devote added effort to perimeter security and personnel protection. They don't work or reside in either of the buildings addressed in the report, according to Maj. Clark Carpenter, Marine Corps spokesman.

To read the report, click here.

However, many Marines and other U.S. service members are well acquainted with the 14-acre compound, which laid dormant for 12 years before it reopened in 2002 after the Taliban's fall. The first infantry units to arrive there reported that bullet holes and broken windows had exposed the embassy to years of harsh weather. A half-smoked cigar in the ambassador’s office was testimony to the building's swift abandonment.

The spaces affected by faulty electrical are entirely new. The office space, which opened in July, is built for 900 people. The apartment, which opened in February, can house 300.

Investigators blamed the problems on “improperly installed electrical wiring, equipment, and faulty electrical appliances,” the report says. Testing was conducted by Task Force Protect Our Warfighters and Electrical Resources, or POWER, a team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created after 14 personnel were electrocuted in 2008.

A 10-amp current can kill a person, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Task Force POWER found currents measuring 16.7 amps and 27 amps in the office building and apartment building, respectively.

Contributing: Lance M. Bacon, Marine Corps Times. Follow Carten Cordell on Twitter: @wccordell