Substation explosion causes outage in Pietermaritzburg

What happened

An electric substation at the corner of West and Victoria streets in Pietermaritzburg exploded shortly before noon on 9 October 2025, causing a power outage in parts of the city. The fire had already burned out by the time firefighters arrived, but smoke continued to pour from the structure. Firefighters used the jaws of life to force open the metal doors. A person at a nearby business said the explosion came soon after the power went out, and that it was unclear whether the outage and the explosion were connected. Residents and businesses near the substation were told to expect intermittent or no electricity while repairs were underway.

Contributing factors

The cause was not reported. Firefighters had difficulty opening the substation doors. A nearby employee speculated that this might mean maintenance was not being done properly, but that was not confirmed.

Lessons learned

1. Substation doors and other access points need to stay workable so emergency crews can enter quickly.
2. When an outage and an equipment failure happen close together, the link should be checked rather than assumed.
3. Customers near a damaged substation need clear advice that supply may be intermittent while repairs continue.

Source

witness.co.za