Alex to be without power for at least two days after substation fire

It will take at least two days to restore power to Alexandra, Johannesburg, after a substation burnt out on Tuesday.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said in on Tuesday the utility was investigating the cause of the fire at the Vasco da Gama substation.

"City Power anticipates that repairs will take at least 48 hours,"  the utility said. “The fire started around lunchtime on Tuesday, razing the substation to the ground.

"More than half of Alexandra, between 2nd Avenue and 18th Avenue, was without power. This afternoon, some of the cables were still smouldering, making it difficult for technicians to start work. The repair work will involve putting in new infrastructure including RMUs and cables that were destroyed.

“It is suspected that vandalism could be the cause of the fire after the gates leading into the substation were found to have been broken, but that will for part of the investigation," Mangena said.

Mangena said the substation was older than 50 years. City Power wants to build a new substation and budgeted R16m to upgrade the damaged substation.