Man Killed After Allegedly Breaking Into City Power Linden Substation in Johannesburg
- A man was burnt to death at a transformer substation belonging to City Power when he allegedly attempted to steal parts after breaking in on Monday
- City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the incident occurred on 13th street in Linden, a suburb in the northwest of Johannesburg
- Mangena dissuaded communities against vandalising the entities electricity infrastructure and warned of its dangers
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
A man was burnt to death at a transformer substation belonging to City Power when he allegedly attempted to steal parts after breaking in on Monday.
According to News24, City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said that the incident occurred on 13th street in Linden, a suburb in the northwest of Johannesburg.
Source: Getty Images
Recovered at the scene were a spade and saw, which the deceased allegedly used to gain entry into the substation.
Mangena, who said the unidentified victim sustained extensive fatal burns, dissuaded communities against vandalising the entities electricity infrastructure and warned of its dangers.
Enjoy reading our stories? Download the BRIEFLY NEWS app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
"The unknown man broke into the transformer substation and tried to strip the live mini substation when it blew up and caught fire.
"He was burnt beyond recognition. Emergency services and the police attended the scene, which was subsequently cleared," explained Mangena.
The incident affected the power supply to several streets in the area, with City Power unable to confirm when the power may be up and running.
Minisubstation worth R500 000 stolen
Briefly News earlier reported that City Power made an appeal for information from the Fleurhof neighbourhood in Roodepoort after its infrastructure was stolen a day after it was installed.
The mini-substation was stolen outside a school and is said to have been worth R500 000 according to News24. A criminal case of theft of essential infrastructure has been filed at the South African Police Services.
City Power's Security Risk Management general manager, Sergeant Thela says theft of the power utility's infrastructure has become a common occurrence.
Thela stated that criminals usually steal cables, substation doors, busbars and fuses. He added that in some cases the criminals commit these crimes while heavily armed.
South Africa's Energy Regulator stands behind revitalised nuclear power plan
In other news, Briefly News previously reported that a plan put forward by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has been given the go-ahead by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa).
Mantashe put the plan forward in August 2020. The idea is to acquire 2 500MW of nuclear power from something called 'new generation capacity'.
The Nersa's Head of Communications Charles Hlebela confirmed that there was a decision made during a meeting held on Thursday, 26 August.
Nersa, according to Hlebela, is in the process of coming to a decision with Mantashe's department.
Source: Briefly News
