Eskom works to restore power after severe storms cause outages across KZN

Eskom in KwaZulu-Natal says its teams are busy with restoration efforts following widespread power supply interruption from the storms that swept through the province on Sunday.

The storms led to widespread damage in the uMgungundlovu District Municipality in the KZN Midlands where three people were swept away in floods and houses and road infrastructure were damaged.

The power utility said following the Orange Level 5 warning issued by the South African Weather Services (SAWS), the province experienced severe thunderstorms, lightning, high winds and heavy rainfalls resulting in numerous network trips.

“Eskom officials worked through the night to restore supply to most of the customers.”

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Repairs to the damaged network sections are continuing this morning to return supply to the remaining affected customers in the following areas :

Empangeni, Mtubatuba, Ulundi, Hluhluwe, Hlabisa, Eshowe, Doornkop, Pomeroy, Vryheid, Edenvale, Appelsbosch and Wartburg.

It added that restoration progress may be hindered by accessibility issues in some areas.

“Eskom appeals for customers’ patience and understanding. Customers are urged to treat all electrical installations as live for their safety. Customers are encouraged to use any of Eskom’s available self-service channels to report fallen or unsafe structures.

The following reporting channels are available:

• MyEskom Customer App: available for download on Google Play and Apple Store

• Alfred the Chatbot: https://alfred.eskom.co.za/chatroom/

• USSD platform: Simply dial *120*37566# on your phone and follow the prompts.

• Eskom Contact Centre: Dial 08600 ESKOM (37566).

THE MERCURY