City Power in Johannesburg has reported a fire that started on Tuesday night due to suspected cable theft and vandalism, resulting in power outages in several communities. The fire started on Wednesday but re-opened early on Wednesday morning, affecting areas including Braamfontein, part of Joburg CBD, parts of Parktown, and parts of Newtown. A cable connecting Braamfontein substation to the Fordsburg substation caught fire during the incident.
City Power teams have been on site since Tuesday night and will remain until the site is handed over by emergency services on Thursday morning. Work towards restoration will begin after the smoke has cleared in the tunnels and temperatures have cooled off in the tunnel. The restoration work will include clearing the rubble, assessing the extent of the damaged electrical infrastructure, and determining repairs and restoration plans. Technicians are also working on alternatives to see if some areas cannot be back-fed through nearby substations.
City Power apologizes for the inconvenience caused and apologizes to motorists using the M1 highway between Braamfontein and the Crown Interchange. The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services' fire division reported that parts of the M1 highway between Empire Road and the Crown Interchange had been closed off to traffic to allow officials to work. City of Johannesburg emergency management services will return to the scene to conduct an assessment along the underground tunnel.
