Pretoria - Power utility Eskom has launched an investigation into an accident that left one person dead at its Lethabo power station at the weekend.
Babcock qualified boiler maker Shigamani Paul Hobo, 41, was fatally injured while repairing a leaking valve on the S03 valve on Saturday. Hobo had previously worked at the station that is near Vereeniging.
The incident happened while planned maintenance was being carried out on Unit 6 of the power station.
"It is important to note that there was no interruption to production on the remaining units, there was no explosion and thus minimal damage to Unit 6," said the parastatal, after media reported that there had been an explosion at the station.
As a result of the accident the incident scene was contained and the rescue teams deployed while the affected power plant area was evacuated as a precautionary measure because of fumes in the air.
Sixty people were assessed of which 15 were stabilised and taken to hospital, and later discharged. The remaining contractor and Eskom employees were examined and discharged.
