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In a tragic incident highlighting the dangers of tampering with electrical infrastructure, a man was found dead atop an electricity transformer in South Africa. The incident occurred at Eskom's Babelegi main substation in Tshwane, where a 33-year-old man was discovered by an Eskom technician responding to a power outage. The man had illegally entered the substation by cutting the lock on the gate and was found hanging over an 11kV bus coupler isolator structure. Emergency services declared him dead at the scene .(Eskom, The Citizen)
This is not an isolated case. In another incident in Kanana, Sebokeng, a man in his early 40s died after being electrocuted while attempting to illegally operate an Eskom transformer. Preliminary investigations revealed that he had climbed onto the transformer and made contact with live components while trying to reconnect a broken jumper on the network .(News365.co.za)
Similarly, at the Westfield substation near Modderfontein, City Power technicians discovered the body of a suspected thief hanging from one of the transformers. It is believed that the individual was attempting to steal copper and cables when he was electrocuted .(The Citizen)
These incidents underscore the severe risks associated with unauthorized access and tampering with electrical infrastructure. Eskom and City Power have expressed deep concern over the increasing number of such cases, which not only result in loss of life but also disrupt power supply and pose safety hazards to communities.(IOL)
Authorities urge the public to report any suspicious activities around electrical installations to prevent further tragedies. Eskom has intensified efforts to safeguard its assets by partnering with law enforcement agencies and enhancing public awareness about the dangers of illegal operations on the power network .(IOL, Eskom)
Members of the public are encouraged to report any persons interfering with the electricity network to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 11 27 22.(Eskom)