Local news
Durbanites commend municipality for timeous response to explosion
Durban residents took to social media to speculate the reason for the hot, dry winds and whether they were connected to Eskom. But they also expressed gratitude for Eskom’s quick actions in restoring power to most areas.
SOCIAL media was abuzz with speculation after half of Durban was plunged into darkness when after an explosion at a major substation caused a widespread power outage yesterday.
While eThekwini Municipality issued a statement explaining that the explosion at the Klaarwater major substation appeared to be primarily caused by the strong winds and lightning just after 19:00 on October 11, south Durban residents reported seeing the sky light up as heavy winds blew hot air into the atmosphere.
Power had been restored to most parts of the city last night, with the exception of one area (Shallcross), where extensive damage was confirmed.
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Contemplating the cause of the outage, social media users shared their thoughts through both concern and sarcasm, with some probing that the outage could have been due to a solar storm, or berg winds (the South African name for hot, dry wind), while others said Eskom may have been blowing off some steam.
Residents were grateful that the explosion was contained timeously and safely and also commended the municipality on social media for their speedy response in restoring power.
Remember to report power outages via WhatsApp at 076 791 2449 or call 080 311 1111 or email electricity.faults@durban.gov.za.
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