Suspected Johannesburg cable thief in critical condition after being electrocuted

A suspected cable thief was badly injured and taken to hospital after tampering with, and vandalising a mini-substation in Roosevelt Park, Johannesburg, said the City of Johannesburg on Thursday.

According to ER24, paramedics arrived on the scene just after 1pm on Thursday to find the man lying against a boundary wall.

“Medics assessed the man and found that he had sustained significant burn wounds, leaving him in a critical condition. The man was treated for his injuries and provided with advanced life support interventions before he was transported to a provincial hospital for further care,” said ER24 in a statement.

ALSO READ: Suspected cable thief electrocuted on Cape Town train line

Picture: City of Johannesburg/Twitter

The city has bemoaned the millions in lost revenue due to cable theft, as several Johannesburg areas being left without power while others experienced power cuts in the past few days.

ALSO READ: Alleged cable thief badly burnt after sub-station cable explodes

Florida residents had been left without power for four days due to cable theft on Sunday.

“We are glad to inform the residents that all the faults have been repaired and stolen cables repaired. This means that there will be no more load reduction and the area has been fully restored.

“We urge residents to be vigilant and be on the lookout for any suspicious activity around electricity infrastructure to avoid similar problems,” said the city in a statement.

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