The M1 north fire in Joburg contained

The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) and City Power said the fire that gutted underground cables along the M1 near the north double-decker section, has been contained. The fire forced the closure of the double-decker highway and parts of Empire Road, causing traffic chaos that extended beyond the CBD. Authorities suspect that the fire may be because of acts of theft vandalism of the electricity infrastructure.No injuries or fatalities were reported. “We can now confirm to our residents that the fire has been contained. What we’re doing now is to extinguish the hotspots, from there we’ll check along the tunnel if it’ll be safer for our colleagues from City Power to start conducting their assessment.We continue to plead with the residents to report any act of vandalism or tempering of city infrastructure so that such incidents can be prevented,” said EMS spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi. Meanwhile, City Power spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, sought to assure the residents that power will be restored to their areas soon. “The fire brigade is working on clearing the smoke, following which the power utility’s multidisciplinary teams will work on repairs to restore supply to customers affected by this incident. City Power assures the public that the fire is under control and customers in Braamfontein, the CBD and Parktown, that its teams are committed to conducting repairs to ensure that supply is restored. The time of restoration will depend on the extent of the damage and work that has to be conducted on site,” said Mangena.Preliminary findings indicate that the fire affected the cable from the Fordsburg substation to the Braamfontein substation. Mangena said the cause of the fire is not yet known. “The exact area of the fire will be determined when the fire has been extinguished and the smoke has cleared. The entity apologises for the inconvenience caused to customers who are affected by the power outage, as well as members of the public who are stuck in traffic as the result of the fire,” added Mangena.