The City of Tshwane has confirmed that the Pyramid substation caught fire on Tuesday night when rain and strong winds hit parts of Gauteng. There were several reports of damage to homes and infrastructure.
City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said on Wednesday that a transformer and a container were destroyed when lighting struck the substation.
“In the early hours of Wednesday, September 20, the City of Tshwane experienced unprecedented storms in the northern parts of the city.”
Bokaba said the storm caused destruction to households in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas. He said that as a result of lightning, the temporary Pyramid substation, which was built next to the Rooiwal power station, caught fire, burning the transformer, including the container.
Tshwane emergency services battled to contain the damage overnight.
Bokaba said while power has been restored in some areas, the Rooiwal waste treatment plant and the farming communities are still without power.
“The fire then spread into the high-tension yard. Emergency services were quick to respond and managed to extinguish the fire. Power has been restored at the Rooiwal power station, but the rest of the customers, including Rooiwal waste treatment plant and the farming communities supplied from the substation are still out. A temporary investigation indicates that the cause of the fire emanated from lighting,” he said.
According to emergency services, the Dorandia dumping site and more shacks also caught fire. Trees were uprooted in and around Valhalla and Centurion. However, no injuries or damages have been reported.
Bokaba stated that investigations are still ongoing, and an update will be communicated in due course.
“Technicians are currently investigating and assessing the full scale of the damage. An update will be provided during the course of the day.”
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