WATCH: City Power security in gun battle with crooks trying to steal burnt Joburg fire cables

City Power said an intense gun battle occurred between its security officials and suspected cable thieves near the M1 bridge in Johannesburg, where a fire broke out in an underground tunnel.  

Parts of Johannesburg‘s inner city were filled with smoke on Wednesday morning after underground cables caught alight.

The blaze led to power outages in several parts of the city including Braamfontein, Page View, Parktown, Melville, Amalgam, Vrededop, Johannesburg and surrounding areas.

It is believed that cable theft was behind the blaze.

Gun battle

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said despite the damage to infrastructure, criminals tried to steal the cables that were burnt during the massive blaze.

Watch City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena speak about the gun battle

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena says a confrontation occurred between police and suspected cable thieves near the M1 bridge in Joburg, where an underground fire broke out. Mangena says some civilians were attempting to steal burnt copper cables.https://t.co/15xtyR8pqP pic.twitter.com/91DEw9zT83

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“Last night, City Power’s security team had to exchange fire with criminals living in a makeshift squatter camp under the M1 along Carr Street, after they were found busy attempting to steal the cable that got burnt during the fire.

“A substantial amount of cable had already been cut and put in recycling bags, but the security personnel managed to recover all of it. Fortunately, no one was injured. A criminal complaint has been lodged with the South African Police Service (SAPS),” Mangena said.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Cutter, cellphone and 200 degrees heat: Inside the fire that darkened Joburg

Gas and structure

Mangena said City Power has restored electricity to some parts of Braamfontein, while other areas remain in the dark.

He said so far electricity has been restored to office buildings while some assessments need to be done in the tunnels before work to restore electricity can take place.

“Tests must be conducted to assess the gas levels in the tunnels which are suspected to be high. The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) also needs to assess the structural integrity of the tunnel to ascertain that it will not collapse or harm our technicians.

“As soon as those two safety aspects have been addressed, City Power will start clearing the rubble and assessing the extent of the damage caused by the fire on the electricity infrastructure. The outcome will determine the scope of work and the estimated time of completion of the repair,” Mangena said.

200° heat

On Thursday, Mangena said when City Power officials opened a tunnel on the M1 highway below the city of Johannesburg, they were met with around 200° heat, hot enough to burn your hair off and destroy your skin.

Once inside, they found a cellphone and several tools, including a saw, cutter and screw drivers.

ALSO READ: WATCH: City Power suspects fire on M1 highway in Joburg CBD caused by vandals