Standby generator explodes at University of Pretoria in Tshwane

A standby generator has exploded and caught fire at the Economic and Management Science’s campus of the University of Pretoria in Tshwane.

The Tshwane Emergency Services Department said it was alerted to the incident just after 8:30am on Tuesday morning.

Spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the explosion caused the generator to burst into flames.

“A fire engine and a ladder truck were immediately dispatched to the incident. Firefighters arrived on scene to find one of the two generators on fire and immediately began firefighting operations. The fire was subsequently extinguished. No one was injured and no structural damages to nearby buildings in Tshwane were reported.

“The cause of the explosion and fire has not yet been determined. The impact of loss of one of the generators has not yet been communicated by the university authorities,” said Mabaso.

Koedoespoort explosion

Last month, a transformer inside the Koedoespoort Substation went up in flames, sending a thick black cloud into the sky and leaving hundreds of residents without power.

The incident impacted a nearby transformer and resulted in power outages across several regions of the City of Tshwane.

Tshwane Emergency Services mobilised resources from two fire stations to respond to the emergency.

The team of firefighters successfully quelled the fire once technicians had turned off the power supply, rendering the site safe for emergency operations.

ALSO READ: Koedoespoort explosion: Power outages across 3 regions

Boksburg explosion

Meanwhile. the Boksburg community of Plantation held an intimate night vigil in commemoration of the Christmas Eve gas tanker explosion.

The incident claimed 41 lives and scores of injuries. It’s been six months of silence after the initial promises of investigations, action and assistance.

Members of the public alleged that metro police, who should have been helping the fire department evacuate the area before the explosion, arrived two hours after the blast.

Many believe this was the reason so many people died.

Addiitonal reporting by Hein Kaiser

ALSO READ: Boksburg blast 6 months later