The charred body of a man who broke into an electricity transformer mini substation in Linden, Johannesburg, was found on Monday
City Power said: “An unknown man was burnt to death early this morning in Linden after he vandalised the mini substation on 13th Street”.
A bag and tools that included a spade and a hacksaw – were found near the body.
City Power said an initial probe found that the man met his demise after he broke into the transformer substation to steal copper cables and other valuable components.
“He tried to strip the live mini substation when it blew up and caught fire. He was burnt beyond recognition,” said City Power.
“Emergency services and the police attended the scene which was cleared this morning.
“A team is busy organising a mini substation to replace the one completely burnt to the ground.”
City Power warned against vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
The incident has affected electricity supplies to properties along 13th Street, Tana Road, Steve Street, and Pafuri Road.
