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Widespread power outages affected several parts of Johannesburg. (Waldo Swiegers/Getty Images)
A significant power outage plunged multiple areas in the City of Johannesburg into darkness on Tuesday night after the Prospect Substation in Elandsfontein tripped due to veld fires.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said this affected several other substations across the City, leaving numerous residents without electricity.
Mangena said fires under the high-transmission lines in City Deep were the primary cause of the disruption.
He said the flames caused two 88KV breakers on transformers 1 and 3 to trip.
"Several substations that are fed from Prospect subsequently lost supply.
"City Power has previously cautioned residents of Johannesburg against contributing to sparking veld fires, particularly close to servitudes.
"While the actual fire could damage our infrastructure, the dense smoke underneath the transmission lines often creates conditions for the network to trip, leading to widespread outages," he said.
READ | Three City Power employees among group accused of stealing copper worth R20 000
He added that efforts to restore electricity had seen partial success, with most affected areas now having power.
However, Mulbarton, Mondeor and Robertsham substations are still without power supply.
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