The theft of 30 metres of cable was enough to plunge the streets of Estación de Benaoján, where more than 200 people live, into darkness ... early on Monday.
The theft took place right at the start of the street lighting circuit, meaning its effects have spread to the rest of the system. Near the substation that supplies the network, there is a first streetlight that remains lit, but beyond that, the lighting is cut off.
Technicians have confirmed that a cable between two streetlights is missing. "That streetlight is on, but from there onwards, everything is cut off," Mayor Guillermo Becerra told Sur.
The lack of light initially led him to suspect a power cut. Upon leaving his home at around 6am, Becerra noticed that the streets were dark. When he realised that the problem persisted into the evening on Monday, he contacted the technical services to have the installation checked.
The technicians found that the circuit breakers had been switched off. However, when they were switched back on, the street lighting did not come back on. The inspection subsequently enabled the team to locate the section from which the cabling had been removed.
The town hall has issued a notice to inform residents of the incident and urge them to exercise caution while the lighting is being restored. The statement notes that the station will remain unlit until the problem can be resolved and that the matter is now in the hands of the authorities.
This is not the first time that a cable has gone missing from this installation, although the previous incident was on a smaller scale. On that occasion, the thieves stole between 15 and 20 metres of cable from between two street lamps near the El Muelle restaurant. As this was at the end of the circuit, the cut did not leave the whole area without lighting.
As yet, the mayor has not named anyone responsible for the theft. The solution involves replacing the stolen cable and restoring the continuity of the street lighting circuit later on Tuesday.