Fire at Johannesburg substation leaves part of city centre without power — TimesLIVE
In Johannesburg, South Africa, a fire at a central electrical substation damaged critical infrastructure and left part of the city’s business centre without electricity. A person suspected of involvement in vandalism at the facility suffered severe burns and is in hospital under police guard, TimesLIVE reports.
Signs of possible interference
The fire began at about 4:00 on Saturday. City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said that after emergency services cleared the scene, technical teams entered the underground tunnels on Sunday. There, they found an axe, a jigsaw and other equipment commonly associated with cable theft.
According to Mangena, most of the items were lying beneath a damaged distribution board. Signs of attempts to cut copper cables connected to the equipment were also recorded there. City Power’s preliminary observations indicate that possible interference may have caused an explosion and the subsequent fire.
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Marshalltown and nearby areas left without electricity
The fire damaged the distribution board and associated cables, cutting off electricity supplies to Marshalltown and nearby areas in central Johannesburg. City Power teams left the affected section so that law enforcement officers could secure the scene, collect evidence and establish the circumstances of the incident.
City Power believes that more than one person may have been involved in the possible interference. The company is also checking a possible link to organised criminal activity targeting the underground electricity network.
No restoration timeline yet
Once authorised by law enforcement, specialists are to assess the extent of the damage, remove debris and determine the materials and equipment needed for repairs. City Power is also considering alternative power supply points to restore electricity to some consumers before the main repair work is completed. There is currently no estimated time for power restoration, as the full extent of the damage has not yet been established.
