“Major engineering construction teams from both the Eastern Cape and Western Cape are on site working around the clock as they reconstruct the infrastructure that was toppled by gale force winds and heavy rain,” said Eskom.
“The work in progress involves excavating, assembling and dressing of structures and the removal of existing collapsed structures.”
Aside from the provision of generators, the provincial government has transported 5,000 litres of water for hospitals in Prince Albert and Laingsburg.
“This has been a mammoth task but we will continue to provide support to all affected towns for as long as is necessary,” Western Cape premier Alan Winde said in a briefing on Wednesday.
“Tragically, one person has died and another has been hospitalised in Leeu Gamka after, it is suspected, they were overcome by fumes from a generator.”
Environmental health practitioners were deployed to the affected areas to investigate food quality at stores to ensure residents did not become sick from consuming food that had gone off. Maintaining the food cold chain in affected areas is a priority.
TimesLIVE
Eskom teams working around the clock to restore power to Karoo towns
Image: Mossel Bay municipality/Facebook
Eskom says engineering and construction teams are working around the clock to restore power to customers in the Karoo left in the dark since weekend storms downed power pylons feeding several towns.
Emergency generators have been dispatched to keep essential services such as hospitals, schools and water distribution running.
Towns affected on day 5 of the outage are Sutherland, Roggeveld, Laingsburg, Ladismith, Leeu Gamka, Swartberg, Merweville, Matjiesfontein, Prince Albert, Fraserburg and surrounding areas.
A resident at Leeu Gamka died and a second person was hospitalised after apparently being overcome by fumes emitted from a generator they were using.
Eskom said on Thursday the estimated time power would be restored was February 15.
“Major engineering construction teams from both the Eastern Cape and Western Cape are on site working around the clock as they reconstruct the infrastructure that was toppled by gale force winds and heavy rain,” said Eskom.
“The work in progress involves excavating, assembling and dressing of structures and the removal of existing collapsed structures.”
Aside from the provision of generators, the provincial government has transported 5,000 litres of water for hospitals in Prince Albert and Laingsburg.
“This has been a mammoth task but we will continue to provide support to all affected towns for as long as is necessary,” Western Cape premier Alan Winde said in a briefing on Wednesday.
“Tragically, one person has died and another has been hospitalised in Leeu Gamka after, it is suspected, they were overcome by fumes from a generator.”
Environmental health practitioners were deployed to the affected areas to investigate food quality at stores to ensure residents did not become sick from consuming food that had gone off. Maintaining the food cold chain in affected areas is a priority.
TimesLIVE
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