Nine people have been injured following an explosion at Eskom’s Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga. Picture: Eskom
Nine people have been injured following an explosion at Eskom’s Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga on Thursday afternoon.
“Initial reports indicate that 9 employees were injured with one in critical condition. As a precautionary measure, Unit 5 was taken offline to ensure the safety of all employees and contractors on-site,” said the power utility.
Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo said all emergency protocols have been activated.
“Our first thoughts are with those who have been injured and we are ensuring they get the medical attention they need. Our technical teams are on-site assessing the situation and will continue to do so throughout the evening and into tomorrow.”
Eskom said the suspension of load shedding remained unchanged.
The incident comes a day after a 500 MVA transformer tripped at the Midas Substation disrupting electricity supply to approximately 15 mines in the Carletonville, Fochville, and Potchefstroom areas, as well as to residential customers.
In a statement, the power utility said its technical teams acted swiftly and managed to restore essential load to the mines, enabling limited operations.
“Our employees are working tirelessly around the clock to expedite the restoration process. At this stage, we are unable to provide a definitive timeline for the conclusion of the repairs. The safety of our employees and contractors remains our number one priority as they are being threatened by the illegal miners (Zama Zamas) operating in the area contributing to the delay in supply restoration.”
Cape Times
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