Johannesburg - Significant parts of Durban have been plunged into darkness after a massive explosion at the Klaarwater major substation.
The thud from the explosion could be felt in many suburbs to the west of Durban, including Pinetown and Westville.
The eThekwini Municipality has confirmed it is aware of the blackouts and says officials are investigating further as much of the city is plunged into darkness in the north, south, west and central areas.
Suburbs that are experiencing blackouts from the explosion include:
Clare Estate, Reservoir Hills, Pinetown, Hillary, Westville, Shallcross, Malvern, Cato Manor, Mayville , Asherville, Hillary, Umbilo, Glenwood, Clairwood, Jacobs, Bayhead, Bluff, Maydon Wharf, Durban CBD, Durban North, Effingham, Redhill and Avoca Hills.
More areas could be affected.
The explosion happened just after 8pm and was captured on video by some and on CCTV footage by others. The footage can be seen here.
EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said municipal technicians were investigating and would keep the public informed about developments.
“The eThekwini Municipality is aware of a trip out at our Klaarwater Major sub-station, which is a key supply point to the city from Eskom. Many areas around the city are affected by this power outage,” he said.
Meanwhile, in frantic community WhatsApp groups around the coastal town, locals shared what happened.
“I saw what seemed like a huge blue flash across the whole sky looking west. The blackout is widespread,” said one resident in a community group.
Another said she was on a phone call with her mother, who is based all the way in Verulam, and there too, she lost power.
In Westville, another frustrated resident said the outage was the last straw and he was ready to fully go off-grid.
“F*** this, I'm going off the grid. This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
“It took them two weeks to sort out a cable fault. Did you see how big that explosion was?” he said.
IOL