A fire has cut electricity to around 20,000 businesses in South Africa's commercial capital, closing down half of the central business district

The fire in a power cable tunnel under the streets of Johannesburg raged for seven hours before fire services could put it out. Electricity company City Power says it is still too hot to get into the tunnel to repair the damage. A spokesman said the fire could have been caused by thieves stealing cables. The power will not be back on for several days, the company said. Cable theft is a common cause of power cuts in South Africa.