WATCH: Coal conveyor, silo on fire at Eskom’s Majuba power station
Social media users immediately mentioned sabotage, while an energy expert said the country's economy is being undermined.
A coal conveyor and silo on fire at Eskom’s Majuba power station, 18 December 2019. Picture Twitter / Chris Yelland
A coal conveyor belt and silo at Majuba power station in Mpumalanga burst into flames this afternoon, but the fire has been extinguished, Eskom said.
The power utility said in a statement the fire broke out at the incline conveyor belt system from the rail offloading facility at about 3pm.
Coal conveyor and silo at the Majuba power station of South Africa’s national utility @Eskom_SA on fire. Someone tell me how this is possible. Sabotage? Latest: fire now extinguished pic.twitter.com/6GyA6FZ8HW
— Anton Eberhard (@AntonEberhard) December 18, 2019
The power station’s fire brigade extinguished the fire swiftly, and no injuries were sustained.
“The incident does impact on our coal delivery to Majuba power station which was primarily done via rail. We will use road delivery to offset the absence of rail transportation for the duration of the recovery of the damaged infrastructure. Majuba power station’s coal stock is healthy at over 50 days of stock. We expect that the reclamation from the coal stock and road delivery will be adequate to sustain Majuba burn,” the statement read.
“We will have to wait for the facility to cool down in order to start a forensic investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Once it is safe, the investigation will commence,” Eskom said.
Social media users were immediately anxious about possible load shedding, but according to Eskom’s statement, this should not happen.
So does this mean loadshedding will resume?
— Simon Thomé (@SimonThome) December 18, 2019
There must be an agenda to this ?
— Marduk Aza (@marduk_aza) December 18, 2019
The word “sabotage” was also bandied about, with energy expert Prof Anton Eberhard calling for a thorough investigation, saying that the economy is being undermined.
This requires an urgent, high-level investigation. This is very very serious. South Africa’s economy is being undermined https://t.co/bLT4cKZU4v
— Anton Eberhard (@AntonEberhard) December 18, 2019
Ke yona sabotage so????????
— Ribes_2704✊???????????????? (@Ribes_L) December 18, 2019
Ramaphosa’s man-made sabotage. This is it.
— Rainmaker (@AhhZanemvula) December 18, 2019
Clearly sabotage by the Zuptas
— 4Freedom (@ChrisJo52393209) December 18, 2019
(Compiled by Carina Koen)
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