06 Oct 2016

Ntshe House, a building which houses most of government departments experienced a power cut this morning of October 6,  after a transformer exploded and caught fire.
Apart from the building a few businesses were also affected by the power interruption.
According to an eye witness, Mr Lucky Dubane, who was near the transformer at the time, he heard an explosion and the transformer caught fire. He said at the time he parked a company vehicle nearby while waiting for his colleagues.
Mr Dubane said luckily there was a fire extinguisher in the car and he acted swiftly to take it and put off the inferno.
He said he felt happy for saving cars at Ntshe House basement, saying if it was not because of his brave mindset, the damage could have been beyond measure.
He said he assumes that the fire was caused by the damaged cellphones which were brought for repairs by the street vendors, adding he thinks they put them inside the transformer when they knock off.
The remains of the burnt cellphones where found inside the transformers and unused plastic grates lying around them.
Another eyewitness, Mr Ishmael Legae, who is one of the employees at Ntshe House said he was at the basement to collect a parked car when he suddenly saw the smoke from the transformer.
He said he informed the security guard at the gate and joked about the smoke, but all of a sudden they saw the flames coming out of the transformer. Mr Legae said they did not panic but phoned the fire department and informed officers to come and remove their vehicles.
Ms Kedibonye Obonye, a street vendor who was near the transformer said she is happy that Mr Dubane quickly managed to extinguish the fire which could have brought much damage especially to the cars parked at the basement.
She said when they saw the fire; they were scared and ran away from the transformer as they shouted for help. She added that the street vendors who put their belongings there should be taken for questioning by law as they compromise their safety.
Government employees at Ntshe House were alerted and instructed to exit the building and those who had their cars parked at the basement managed to remove them for safely.
After some minutes, the building was declared safe and the officers resumed duty.  Upon reaching the scene, the fire department found the flames down. There were no recorded cases of injuries and damage to property apart from the cellphones.ENDS