A man was critically injured after police said he was shocked while trying to steal wiring from a south Nashville substation - a situation that knocked out power to thousands in the area.

According to Metro Nashville Police officials, 43-year-old Joseph Buhlinger tried to steal from the Dunn Avenue substation Tuesday morning around when the explosion happened.

The incident was reported early Tuesday morning at the Craighead station. Nashville Electric Service officials said at one point, 4,733 people were without power.

MORE: More than 4,000 without power in south Nashville. Check outage map: https://t.co/JrGGr76T8O pic.twitter.com/AY7vhFMarg — NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) May 23, 2017

A neighbor told officers he hear the explosion around 5 a.m. and walked toward the substation when he heard a person moaning.

Buhlinger, who had been shocked, suffered severe burns. NES workers found several areas where Buhlinger had cut the ground wire in an attempt to take the copper.

The damage to the substation resulted in widespread power outages Tuesday morning in the South Nashville area.

Buhlinger, who is homeless, was convicted of burglarizing the same Dunn Avenue substation in 2015. He has previous convictions for felony theft, burglary, and assault.

He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in critical-stable condition.