A suspected act of theft and vandalism on Eskom infrastructure in Khayelitsha has claimed the life of a member of the public and left more than 18,000 customers without electricity.

According to Eskom, the incident occurred at around 8 pm on Sunday evening.

The utility said the fatality was a direct result of criminal damage to its electrical network, which also triggered a widespread power outage across several parts of Khayelitsha.

The affected areas include Sections A, B, C, D, E, G, H, I and J, as well as Khaya Park, Ilitha Park, Khulani Park, BM Section, Tsephetsephe, the Day Hospital, Nonkqubela Station, Nonkqubela Shopping Centre, Boxer, Pick n Pay, the Site B Chemist, BP Garage and Egwaveni.

Eskom said its technicians are working to restore electricity but warned that the extent of the damage caused by theft, vandalism and illegal connections means there is currently no estimated time for power to be restored.

The utility said it remains committed to restoring supply as quickly as possible and thanked affected customers for their patience.

Eskom also urged residents to avoid interfering with electrical infrastructure, warning that unsafe tampering and illegal connections can have fatal consequences. Customers have been advised to treat all electrical appliances as live while restoration work is underway.

The power utility has previously communicated that Khayelitsha was a hot spot for electricity theft and vandalism, leading to a huge backlog of faults.