Johannesburg substation fire kills one

One person died in a fire at a power substation in Johannesburg on Friday.

“A homeless person was killed and another injured in the fire believed to have been started by the two who used the substation as a place to sleep. It is believed that the two tried to open an MV link box with the aim of stealing some of the material when it exploded, causing the fire that killed one of them,” City Power's Isaac Mangena said.

The fire broke out at the transformer substation near Newclare.

City Power technicians and engineers are working on restoring power to areas southwest of Johannesburg, including Maraisburg, Bosmond and Relief.

Mangena said  the police and emergency services are at the scene.

“City Power technicians will only be able to work to restore power in the affected suburbs after the police are done.”