When lightning struck in Philip Frame Road last night, residents encountered a new deadly enemy, electricity. Several residents either suffered power outages or dimming lights.

Calls to the municipality were pointless, as most houses had electricity, but with lights flickering and appliances tripping, it was clear there was something wrong.

Outside, the cause of the problem became apparent.

A 100m length of overhead power cable had snapped, sending sparks flying in every direction.

Part of the cable ended up lying across a fence – it had turned at least two houses’ fences into death traps.

Having identified the problem, it took over an hour to get a municipal electrician to respond. Fearing for pets  residents used wooden sticks to move the wire off the fence long before help arrived.

The deadly cable now lay in the street, with cars driving by. It was only after municipal workers arrived that residents could rest easy in the knowledge that the wires were no longer a deadly danger to passersby. Municipal electricians worked through thunderous rainstorms to fix the line.

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