Don’t panic Eskom says after Koeberg Nuclear Power Station siren goes off

Residents of a suburb in Cape Town were left shocked and panic-stricken when Siren 913, part of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s Public Notification System, was inadvertently activated.

Siren 913, located in the green belt opposite West Coast Village in Sunningdale, went off at about 2pm on Wednesday, leaving people concerned that a problem had occurred at Koeberg.

Don’t panic

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the siren was activated during routine maintenance and urged the public not to panic.

“The siren emitted a brief alarm tone. Eskom would like to assure the public that there is no emergency at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, and no action is required from members of the public.

“This has no impact on the normal operations of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. Siren 913 is one of more than 80 sirens that form part of the Public Notification System supporting the Koeberg Nuclear Emergency Plan,” Mokwena said.

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Maintenance

Mokwena added that regular testing and maintenance are conducted to ensure that the system remains fully operational and responsive.

“We sincerely apologise for any concern or inconvenience caused by this unintentional activation. We appreciate the public’s understanding and cooperation,” Mokwena said.

No load shedding

Meanwhile, as the winter season approaches, Eskom has denied reports that it plans to implement 14-hour load shedding.

This comes after a post was circulated on social media platforms about the rolling blackout next month.

“14-hour load shedding: Residents of Gauteng and the Northern Cape are set to face significant disruptions this week with a scheduled 14-hour load shedding. As the national power grid struggles to meet demand, these prolonged outages are expected to impact daily life significantly,” the post claimed.

Fake news

Eskom labelled the report as fake news.

“Eskom categorically rejects the false claims circulating online about a 14-hour outage or imminent load shedding. These reports are completely untrue”.

Eskom said the power system is stable.

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