Explosion and fire at Linden substation cuts power to Johannesburg suburbs
Aug 2017Published 18 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Linden substation, Johannesburg, South Africa
- What
- Explosion triggered large fire
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Theft from standby unit caused short circuit
- Outcome
- Power lost to Linden and three other suburbs
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What happened
An explosion occurred at a substation in Linden, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, on the evening of 23 August 2017. The explosion triggered a large fire, with residents sharing images on social media. Power was lost across Linden, Victory Park, Roosevelt Park and parts of Emmarentia by around 6.30pm, roughly 30 minutes after the fire began. A resident stated that theft of equipment and cabling from a standby backup unit at the substation caused a short circuit that led to the fire, rather than a fault with an active feeder unit.
No injuries were reported. The article did not name the substation operator or provide details on the scale of damage, repair timeline or number of customers affected beyond the listed suburbs.
Contributing factors
A resident attributed the incident to theft of equipment and cables from a standby unit at the substation, which caused a short circuit.
Lessons learned
- Standby backup units at substations require physical security checks, as theft of equipment and cabling can create short circuits.
- Substation explosions can cut supply to multiple suburbs within thirty minutes, so operators should review isolation and backup supply plans.
More lessons on theft, arson and site security, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Operator of the substation
- Scale of damage to equipment
- Repair timeline and cost
- Number of customers affected
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-18. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
