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UPDATE | Joburg couple found dead after returning from honeymoon, electrical fault suspected

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André Damons
  • A Johannesburg couple was electrocuted shortly after returning from their honeymoon.
  • It is believed that the woman collapsed after touching a tap in the shower and her husband was electrocuted when he tried to save her.
  • City Power is investigating the incident.

City Power CEO Mongezi Ntsokolo has ordered an urgent investigation into allegations that a fault, caused by illegal electricity connections, was to blame for the death of newlywed Johannesburg couple, Zaheer Sarang and Nabeelah Khan.

He said a preliminary investigation was under way to establish what transpired. Details will be provided at a later stage.

"While we a busy with investigations, we urge the residents to desist from tampering with electricity infrastructure, vandalism and illegal connections which may lead to the circuit malfunctioning," Ntsokolo added.

At about 17:30 on Sunday, just a day after they returned from their honeymoon, Sarang and Khan were found dead in their Crosby home.

It's believed that Khan, 24, was electrocuted after touching a tap while she was in the shower and that Sarang was electrocuted when he raced towards her to save her.

Johannesburg police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said an inquest docket was opened.

"It is suspected that the couple was electrocuted. Police are still waiting for the post-mortem results that will confirm the cause of death," Masondo added.

According to the couple's neighbour, Hassan Aalim, Sarang and Khan had returned from their honeymoon on Saturday.

READ | Three family members die in Cape Town fire during load shedding

He said he knew something terrible had happened when he heard cries coming from their house.

"It's devastating what happened to Zaheer and his bride," he said.

Aalim added:

The sad thing is that we had been experiencing power outages in the area and a complaint had been laid with City Power but no one responded.

Community activist Aziz Ally told News24 that power outages were an ongoing issue in the community.

"We have received many complaints from people saying that they get an electrical shock when they touch their taps. When we report the issue to the City, they don't respond," Ally said.

"It's just very sad that something so tragic has to happen before we get a response from the officials," he added.

Ally said a full investigation needed to be conducted to determine the cause of the couple's death, adding that Ward 58's electrical issues were due to illegal connections at a neighbouring informal settlement.

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