Two City Power contracted technicians have died after they were trapped in an underground tunnel in Johannesburg on Saturday.
According to the utility’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena, five people were trapped in the city’s subterranean passages where electric cables run.
This passage runs along Commissioner and Von Brandis Street in the Joburg Central Business District (CBD).
Mangena explained that the contractors were responding to a recent case of cable theft.
They began replacing and repairing the cable that had been cut and stolen on Friday and retuned on Saturday to continue their work.
“The first fatality was recorded earlier in the day (Saturday) when three other technicians were rescued and rushed to the hospital. The last individual who was left trapped inside the tunnel had sadly lost his life by the time he was extracted,” Mangena noted.
Cause of the incident
City Power does not know what caused the incident or accident but is investigating.
“At this stage, the cause of the incident remains unclear, but City Power, along with all relevant authorities are on site conducting thorough investigations into the circumstances that led to this fatal incident,” he added.
“As soon as further details become available, we will inform the public. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. We also wish a speedy recovery for the contractors who are receiving medical attention,” Mangena said.
He also thanked the emergency services that responded to the incident so expeditiously.
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