Transformer explosion and fire at Komani substation in Ebden Street
EIR-1232Provisional entry. Published from first reports. This entry is rechecked automatically and updated when more sources appear. Next update: 25 September 2026.
On 12 June 2018 a substation in Ebden Street, Komani, blew and the Komani power station caught fire. An engineer at the scene said a transformer exploded after staff tried to switch the Queendustria substation back on following an earlier trip. A spokesman for Enoch Mgijima municipality said a circuit breaker had tripped because of power overloading, and that electricians were still investigating. Municipal firefighters attended to put out the blaze. Residents were expected to be without electricity for more than three days.
The source reports an earlier trip at the Queendustria substation, an attempt to switch it back on, and a circuit-breaker trip attributed to overloading. It does not state which of these caused the explosion, and the investigation was still under way.
- After a protective trip, confirm the cause and the load before re-energising related plant.
- Treat an overload trip and a later explosion as separate facts until investigation links them.
- Plan for a multi-day local outage while a damaged substation is made safe and repaired.
Published 2026-09-25. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.