Explosion at 66kV substation cuts power across Kempton Park
EIR-0467Provisional entry. Confirmed: an explosion at the Main Supply 66kV substation in Kempton Park caused a large-scale outage on 20 July 2025; not yet confirmed: the precise cause, extent of damage, and restoration timeline, pending an official statement from the City of Ekurhuleni. No further update is scheduled; the entry stays provisional until new information is published.
An explosion occurred at the Main Supply 66kV substation operated by the City of Ekurhuleni, on the Meter Panel 1 side, causing a municipal breaker to trip overnight. The explosion severely impacted the entire 66kV ring network supplying Kempton Park, leaving large parts of the city, including the CBD, airport area and numerous residential suburbs, without electricity. Technical teams attended the site to assess damage and isolate the affected panel. The municipality was advised to switch supply over to a second panel, Meter Panel 2, but experienced technical challenges and awaited an engineer before restoration could proceed. At the time of reporting there was no estimated restoration time. Traffic lights at many intersections were also affected, requiring extra caution from motorists. The City of Ekurhuleni had not issued a formal statement at the time of publication.
The source reports that an explosion at Meter Panel 1 caused a municipal breaker to trip, and that switching to a backup panel was delayed by technical challenges on the municipality's side pending an engineer's attendance.
- Substation operators should ensure rapid availability of qualified engineers to manage switchover to backup panels during faults, to minimise outage duration.
- Clear and timely public communication about restoration timelines helps residents and motorists manage safety risks, such as non-functioning traffic lights.
- Redundant supply paths, such as secondary meter panels, should be regularly tested to confirm they can be switched over without additional delay during an emergency.
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.