Justin: Cable thief K!lled Stealing Electric Cables In Roodepoort
Parts of Roodepoort have been left without power after a suspected cable thief attempted to cut a medium-voltage cable, which ended up electrocuting him.
The incident happened on Wednesday night near Buitekant Street, where the substation is. A neighbour heard a loud explosion followed by a scream around midnight, said City Power on Thursday morning.
“Some witnesses said they saw flames a short distance from their homes and a person running across the bridge moments before emergency services were contacted. Police were called to the scene,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
The alleged cable thief was found dead at the scene. He had cut the 11kV cable in two places before he was killed.
“The damage caused by the attempted theft has interrupted the power supply from the Manufacta substation, affecting multiple communities and local businesses.”
Affected areas include:
- Roodepoort West;
- Lindhaven;
- Witpoortjie;
- Manufacta;
- Reefhaven; and
- Westgate.
“Our technical teams are on site. However, they will only begin assessing the extent of the damage once the authorities and forensic teams have handed over the site,” said Mangena.
“Thereafter, teams will work to restore electricity as quickly and safely as possible. Unfortunately at this stage there is no estimated time of restoration. However, customers will be updated on any developments during the course of the day.”
