Power outages after Mpopoma power station fire

A ZESA power substation in Bulawayo's Mpopoma suburb caught fire yesterday causing power outages in some parts of the city.

Two electricity transformers were destroyed in the inferno, an official said.

Zesa Southern Region general manager Engineer Lovemore Chinaka said they were investigating the matter.

"It's too early, people are yet to go to the scene and establish what happened," said Eng Chinaka.

Bulawayo City Council's fire and ambulance department assisted to put out the inferno.

Acting Bulawayo chief fire officer Mr Edward Phiri said the fire started when Zesa technicians were working at the site.

"They were working when a short circuit occurred resulting in two transformers in the substation catching fire. The substation has 16 transformers all together. "Fortunately no one was injured in the process," said Mr Phiri.

He said the emergency department was conducting its own investigations on the cause of the fire.

"They may have said the fire was caused by a short circuit in the transformers but we need to do our investigations that give us satisfaction on the matter," Mr Phiri said.

Some parts of the city experienced power outages following the fire incident that occurred at around 12PM.