The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in the Eastern Cape has estimated that an explosion at a substation in Motherwell in the Coega Industrial Development Zone has caused more than R40 million in damage.
The explosion which happened on Saturday night led to a blackout in a number of areas.
The Executive Mayor, Retief Odendaal convened an urgent Joint Operations Centre to investigate the incident.
A full independent investigation into the causes of the explosion has been launched as there is a suspicion of foul play.
— Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (@NMandelaBaymuni) March 12, 2023
The municipal spokesperson, Mthubanzi Mniki, says there are suspicions of foul play. “For now, the discussions that we have made and the interaction that we have done with the substation, through our electricity and energy department, we suspect that there’s been a foul play that has happened. But, an independent investigation will happen to ascertain whether that is a fact or not. We have damage that is over R 40 million that has happened.”
