Joburg City Power underground cables in the Braamfontein area have caught fire – due to suspected cable theft and vandalism, resulting in power outages in surrounding areas including Parktown.
The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services’ fire division, which is on the scene, also reported that parts of the M1 highway between Empire Road and the Crown Interchange had been closed off to traffic to allow officials to do their work.
It is understood the fire was reported in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Joburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said motorists were being urged to exercise caution in the area and that no injuries had been reported.
He said the cause of the fire was subject to investigation and was unknown at this stage.
Joburg City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said it was suspected that the fire may be as a result of acts of theft and vandalism of the electricity infrastructure.
“The fire brigade is working on extinguishing the blaze and clearing the smoke, following which the power utility’s multidisciplinary teams will work on repairs to restore supply to customers affected by this incident.
“City Power assures the public that the fire is under control and customers in Braamfontein, the CBD and Parktown, that its teams are committed to conducting repairs to ensure that supply is restored,” said Mangena.
He said the restoration would depend on the extent of the damage and work that has to be conducted on site.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the fire affected the cable from the Fordsburg substation to the Braamfontein substation.
“The exact area of the fire will be determined when the fire has been extinguished and the smoke has cleared,” he said.
-IOL
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