UPDATE: Cable theft continues to cause electricity woes
One of the officials actually landed in hospital due to fume inhalation.
About a 1000 houses have been affected by power outages in Brackenhurst and Brackendowns this week due to cable theft.  Thieves got down into both sides of the tunnel which traverses the R59 highway. They set fire to the outer layer of cables in order to reach the copper core where they cut the cable at both ends of the tunnel and left with their booty. This caused the gas build up. One of the officials actually landed in hospital due to fume inhalation.
There is a 10m deep pipe with steps that goes down to the tunnel which contains the cables which go under the highway. The team is now working to get to the tunnel and replace cables.
Officials have been working around the clock to restore power but it has been a logistical nightmare because the cable. There are two manholes leading down to the tunnel on either side of the highway are very heavy and are sealed so this leads to suspicions that some specialised equipment was used in the preparation for the theft.
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Cable theft results in power cuts in parts of Alberton
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