Firefighters are working to extinguish a fire at Watloo Substation on Tuesday, September 29, as a major power outage continues across parts of Pretoria.

The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department said crews from the Mamelodi and Silverton fire stations were dispatched to the scene. A rapid response vehicle, foam tanker and water tanker are supporting the operation.

According to the city, firefighters began tackling the blaze on arrival and are working to prevent it from spreading. Electricity and Energy technicians are also on site, assessing the affected infrastructure and managing electrical safety while firefighting continues.

The city said the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage have not yet been established. Technicians will be able to conduct a full assessment once the fire has been extinguished and the site is safe. No estimated time for restoring power has been announced.

Outage updates shared by ward councillors said a 132kV supply tripped at Njala Infeed Substation. Watloo, Wingate, Heatherly, Mooikloof, Wapadrand and CSIR primary supply stations were listed as being without power.

The city urged members of the public to stay away from Watloo Substation and allow emergency crews to work.

Earlier reports placed the incident at Villieria Substation. The City of Tshwane has confirmed that the fire is at Watloo Substation.

Also read: Pretoria braces for more severe storms after hail and overnight flooding

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