Joburg CBD still in the dark due to underground fire
City Power has warned that most areas east of Johannesburg will remain without power on Tuesday due to an underground fire.
The fire, which damaged cables, broke out on Monday.
Firefighters has since battled to extinguish the fire.
Isaac Mangena, the power utility’s spokesperson, has urged residents to make alternative plans for the time being.
“All affected areas will remain off until further notice. We urge affected customers to make alternative plans especially businesses and industrial customers within the CBD and the industrial areas to the East of Johannesburg.”
Areas affected include large parts of Selby and the surrounding suburbs of New Centre, Village Deep, Park Central and Wemmer.
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“We are hoping to assess the extent of the damage to cables and infrastructure and how much it will cost to do the repairs,” says Mangena.
“We are really crossing our fingers that by late Tuesday that area will be declared safe.”
Meanwhile, the Johannesburg metro police spokesperson Xolani Fihla says police officers will remain on sight to divert and control traffic.
“Ntemi Pilso street in the Johannesburg CBD remains closed off to traffic between Anderson Street and Fox Street and this is after a fire broke out in the underground tunnels.”
“EMS have extinguished the fire, but the roads remain closed off JMPD officers have been deployed to control and divert traffic.”
Fihla adds that motorist should drive carefully in east of Johannesburg as the power outage in areas including Marshalltown has affected traffic lights in those areas.
