A thief burnt his face while stealing cables, unaware that some of them were live. Image: City Power
Watch: Cable THIEF got BURNT in the face [Graphic]
A thief burnt his face while stealing cables, unaware that some of them were live.
A thief burnt his face while stealing cables, unaware that some of them were live. Image: City Power
Watch a cable thief was burnt in the face and upper body while trying to steal cables, unaware that some wires were alive, in Alexandra in Johannesburg.
A CABLE THIEF BURNT HIS FACE IN ACTION
City Power teams and contractors were busy on-site trenching to repair a cable fault near the Alexandra Substation when, bizarrely, the thief tried to cut and steal copper cable a few meters away on Monday, 13 March 2023.
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The thief was unaware that some of the cables were life and supplied electricity to customers at the time of his actions, and he burnt his face and upper body.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena says the cable blew up and burnt the suspect on most of the upper body, including the face. He was seriously injured and is in hospital under police guard.
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A DARING THIEF GOT BURNT TRYING TO STEAL LIVE CABLES
Mangena said the police arrived on site and rescued the suspect just as the community was about to beat him up. Due to cable theft, the community accused him of adding to their ongoing days without power.
The area near Riverpark and the surroundings is one of the hotspots for cable theft and vandalism. Most of the community east of the Jukskei river has gone for almost a week without electricity.
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CITY POWER RECORDED 25 CABLE THEFT INCIDENTS
Members of the Sandringham police arrested the suspect. He faces charges of tampering with and attempted theft of essential infrastructure and other related crimes.
The suspect receives medical attention for his burnt face under a police guard.
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Meanwhile, City Power recorded 25 cable theft incidents and vandalism this weekend alone, with eight happening in the Inner City. City Power welcomes the arrest of the thief.
