Explosion at Mariannridge substation triggers widespread blackouts

What happened

An explosion and fire broke out at the Mariannridge Major substation in Pinetown after 19:00 on Tuesday 19 April 2022. The blaze also affected substations in Hillcrest, Waterfall and Westmead, and electricity supplies were lost in Durban's inner west and southern areas. A municipal emergency crew extinguished the fire. eThekwini Municipality said technicians would consider whether power could be restored safely, and that assessors would examine the damage once the site was given the all-clear. The cause and the extent of the damage were not reported.

Contributing factors

Not reported.

Lessons learned

1. A fire at one substation can affect neighbouring substations and a wide supply area, so operators should plan for knock-on outages.
2. Assessors should enter only after the site is declared safe, and restoration should wait on that assessment.
3. Public updates should separate what is known, such as a fire being out and supplies being lost, from damage and restoration times that are not yet known.

Source

ecr.co.za