WATCH: No lights yet for Eldorado Park after transformer explodes during repairs

Eldorado Park will have to wait a little longer before electricity is restored to the area after a transformer exploded while the team was repairing the substation that was gutted by fire.

On Wednesday, City Power promised that it would restore electricity supply by the evening, but the latest incident has caused a setback to repairs.

City Power said the second transformer blew up when it livened it up on Wednesday afternoon and that the explosion affected the first transformer, which also tripped on impact.

Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the first transformer was successfully livened up on Tuesday and was ready to take customer loads by midday on Wednesday.

“We managed to switch on Goldev switching substation at 14h55 and restored customers in freedom Park, Mpumelelo, Devland, among others.  The explosion on the transformer happened at 15h15 and has left all the areas, mostly around Eldorado Park, affected by the initial fire off. Teams are busy assessing the first transformer that tripped to ensure its restored. This will see customers initially restored by 14h55 back again, hopefully by later this evening.

“The blown up transformer will be replaced by a new transformer which will be brought to site. Unfortunately we have no ETR for the reminder of the customers,” Mangena said.

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Several areas were plunged into darkness on Friday after a blaze gutted the Eldorado Park substation.

The damage at the substation also impacted other substations, which affected areas including Devland, Olifantsvlei, Kliptown, Klipspruit and Freedom Park, among other areas.

Executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg Mpho Phalatse said the blaze was a deliberate act of sabotage and instructed the city’s group forensic and investigation services unit to accelerate the rollout of the strategy to stop attacks on the city’s economic infrastructure.

With winter-like temperatures, residents have been left without electricity for almost a full week.

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