Vandals in Grand Bank on Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula knocked out the power to 2,300 customers Thursday morning in an attempt to steal copper grounding wire from the high-voltage Greenhill substation.

A Newfoundland Power spokesperson told CBC News that the act caused significant damage to the electrical system, which resulted to a power outage in the area at 10 a.m.

Newfoundland Power crews are currently making repairs, but when the copper grounding wire is tampered with or removed it's extremely dangerous for employees to enter the building, said the spokesperson.

The company estimates power will be restored by 9 p.m. Thursday.

The RCMP is investigating, according to Newfoundland Power.

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