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The solar panel installation at the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality premises in Burgersfort incurred severe damage following the strong wind and rain that swept through parts of the sub-region on Wednesday.
In a statement, the local municipality confirmed the collapse of a section of the solar panel installation at the Civic Centre parking area and Mayor Eddie Maila’s directive for a full structural investigation.
Mahlako Komane, Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality spokesperson, said preliminary reports suggested that the strong winds may have contributed to the destruction of the infrastructure, affecting several parked municipal and private vehicles.
Komane stated that no injuries were reported. “Municipal emergency personnel, disaster management unit and electrical services division members as well as community services department personnel were summoned to site to secure the affected area and conduct immediate safety assessments. The municipality has cordoned off the parking area to prevent further risk while technical teams evaluate the extent of the structural damage,” informed Komane.
Expressing concern over the incident, Maila stated, “While preliminary reports suggest that strong winds may have contributed to the collapse, we cannot rely solely on early observations. I have therefore directed that structural engineers conduct a thorough and independent assessment to determine the exact cause,” Maila said.
The mayor indicated that it is important that the municipality establishes the facts and rule out any issues related to the structural design, construction integrity or workmanship of the installation.
“Once the investigation is concluded, we will take the appropriate steps, informed by the findings,” Maila concluded.
