Much of Pretoria was plunged into darkness last night after Eskom transmission towers, also known as electricity pylons, collapsed next to the N4, leaving high voltage cables running extremely low across the highway.
At 21h12, Pro Med EMS responded to reports of a truck accident on the N4 highway just after Simon Vermooten Rd, Die Wilgers, in Pretoria.
“Upon arrival, paramedics found that multiple structures (Transmission Towers or Pylons) holding high-voltage cables running across the highway collapsed, causing these cables to hang extremely low over the highway, which in turn caused multiple vehicles to collide,” Pro Med EMS said in a statement.
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At least three trucks collided with the hanging cables.
Paramedics attended to two people who sustained moderate injuries in the collisions and transported them to nearby hospitals.
The exact cause of the incident remains unknown, but it is believed that strong winds, which hit the area during a storm moments earlier, contributed to the collapse of the electricity pylons.
Twitter users quickly dug into archives and pulled out evidence of what may have contributed to the structure’s collapse.
A tweet by @9iceFacts on October 08, 2022, revealed that the integrity of the transmission towers was compromised due to members missing from the structure.
The picture in the tweet showed that there were several missing members from the tower.
@CityTshwane the integrity of your line is compromised. The tower is at N4 offramp (east bound) to Solomon Mahlangu.This line will collapse on N4 since the members are stolen. Furthermore, 2 lines connecting Blyde have their cables exposed & 1 stolen at same point as previously. pic.twitter.com/Ua4TDLz99O
— Martin (@9iceFacts) October 8, 2022
Large parts of Pretoria will remain without electricity as authorities work to rebuild the transmission lines.
The N4 highway is currently closed in both directions at Simon Vermooten Road and Solomon Mahlangu Road. Motorists are urged to avoid the area and use alternative routes.
