An explosion at the Main Supply 66kV substation has severely impacted the entire 66kV ring network supplying Kempton Park, leaving large parts of the city without electricity.

Technical teams are on site assessing the damage, but at this stage, there is no estimated restoration time (ERT) for when power will return.

Areas currently affected:

Airport • Allen Grove • Aston Manor • Birch Acres • Birchleigh • Bonaero Park • CBD • Cresslawn • Croydon • Edleen • Ester Park • Glen Erasmia • Glen Marais • Kelvin Estate • Kempton Park Extensions 1–4 • Kempton Park West • Nimrod Park • Norkem Park • Pomona • Rhodesfield • Spartan • Terenure • Van Riebeeck Park.

What we know so far:

The explosion occurred on the City of Ekurhuleni’s side at the Main Supply 66kV (Meter Panel 1), causing a municipal breaker in the area to trip last night. The affected panel has been opened and isolated.

According to the VF Plus’s Jéan Kriek the City of Ekurhuleni was advised to switch over to Meter Panel 2 to restore supply, but the municipality is currently experiencing technical challenges and is awaiting an engineer to resolve the issue before power can be restored.

“Power will only be restored once the municipality is ready to take load from Meter Panel 2.”

Residents are urged to keep appliances switched off to prevent damage when power is restored. Motorists are also reminded that many intersections are without working traffic lights, requiring extra caution.

The City of Ekurhuleni has not yet provided a formal statement on the incident.

This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available.