WATCH: Joburg CBD in smoke, M1 highway closed after ‘stolen’ cables spark fire

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

The fire led to power outages in several parts of the city and also alarmed local residents.

According to officials, no casualties or injuries have been reported.

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Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi told The Citizen that emergency services closed the M1 highway between Empire Road and the Crown Interchange.

“The smoke is coming up from the tunnels under the double-decker section of the highway. It is understood that underground cables had sparked the fire.”

See video and pictures of the smoke blowing over the highway and obstructing traffic.

He said the fire is currently under control and there is no need for evacuations in the immediate area.

It is believed the fire broke out on Tuesday evening because of alleged cable theft.

A fault was registered and repaired but it later escalated until a blaze was discovered on Wednesday morning.

There are concerns the fire may have damaged nearby train infrastructure, but this has not been established yet.

Areas affected by fire

City Power said the fire broke out at a section of its Fordsburg Substation.

“The fire was caused by an attempted theft of our infrastructure by unknown perpetrators. Our team is currently on-site, along with the fire fighting department and risk control, to manage the situation.

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“The affected areas include Braamfontein, Page View, Parktown, Melville, Amalgam, Vrededop, Johannesburg, and its surroundings.

“We will continue to provide updates to affected customers regarding any further developments. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience while we work to resolve the issue”.

It is understood that power may later be diverted to these areas as officials assess the damage and repair the nearly 100 meters of damaged cable.

A city stolen piece by piece

According to City Power, there have been rising cases of theft and vandalism of its infrastructure.

ALSO READ: Police arrest official for electricity theft

“There has been a disturbing trend around the vandalism of transformers, causing prolonged recurring outages in areas,” said spokesperson Isaac Mangena.

Nine men were arrested in March for cable theft and tampering with essential infrastructure in Johannesburg.

This is a developing story.