Electricity at St Albans Correctional Centre in Greenbushes was completely cut off on Wednesday afternoon when a nearby transformer exploded.
As firefighters fought to put out the blaze, and traffic officers were called to redirect traffic, correctional services spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana said they would meanwhile rely on generators to service the prison’s Medium A, B and maximum security sections.
No injuries were reported.
“Our correctional centres will make use of generators to continue with operations,” Gantana said.
“Operations will continue and contingency plans are in place.”
According to Gantana, each centre has its own generator and additional diesel is readily available.
Nelson Mandela Bay municipal spokesperson Kupido Baron said firefighters had been called to the scene when the explosion occurred.
Vandalism could have caused the fire, Baron said.
By Wednesday evening, the fire had been extinguished.
HeraldLIVE
FIGHTING BLAZE: A firefighter helps put out the blaze after a transformer exploded near the St Albans prison on Wednesday afternoon
