A man died in the early morning hours of Tuesday (13 October) when he allegedly tried to steal railway cables in Paarl.

According to a reliable source the man was caught red-handed by Railway Security close to the Huguenot train station, as he was trying to cut the cables.

While trying to get away he jumped over a spiked fence, fatally injuring himself in the lower body. The man, whose identity is unknown, was declared dead on the scene by paramedics.

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Const Ndakhe Gwala, spokesperson for the police in the Western Cape, confirmed the incident that occurred near the railway line near Jan van Riebeeck Road.

“According to reports, an unknown male was cutting cables on a railway pole. When he tried to jump over the fence, he jumped onto the fence and sustained serious injuries. He was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel.”

Gwala says an inquest docket has been opened and is being investigated by Paarl police detectives.

An enquiry was sent to Prasa about this incident and cable theft, but no feedback was received at the time of publication.