'Direct lightning strike' probably behind massive power outage in Nelson Mandela Bay, says mayor

• Saturday morning's thunderstorm could be the cause of the major power outage that hit large parts of Nelson Mandela Bay.
• The municipality has since restored a section of the 132kV ring between Chelsea and Summerstrand.
• City teams are currently inspecting all lines for visible damage.

Nelson Mandela Bay authorities say that Saturday morning's thunderstorm could have caused the major power outage that hit large parts of the metro.

On Saturday morning, Mayor Retief Odendaal said that the Rowallan Park 132kv breaker at Chatty had tripped.

The municipality has since restored a section of the 132kV ring between Chelsea and Summerstrand. Teams are now patrolling the line between Bloemendal and Chelsea.

Areas that are still affected include Rowallan Park, Lorraine, Arlington, and Greenbushes.

The Chatty substation is said to be the City's most important one, currently feeding about 132kV of supply.

According to Odendaal, should the substation be faulty or offline, some 60% of the city could be without power.

"We are suspecting a direct lightning strike on one of the lines. This would have caused the substation to trip," he said.

He added that their teams were currently inspecting all lines for visible damage.

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"Once the fault or damage has been identified, it will be isolated, and the substation can be switched on again."