Emergency services report that a petrol tanker explosion in Boksburg, a city east of Johannesburg, resulted in nine fatalities and 40 injuries.
On Saturday morning, a tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) “became stranded under a bridge” close to a hospital and homes.
“Towards 7:50am (05:50 GMT), we received a call informing us that a gas truck was trapped under a bridge. The fires needed to be put out, so firefighters were called. The tanker unfortunately detonated, according to William Ntladi, a spokesman for the local emergency services, who spoke to the AFP news agency.
Social media users who live nearby posted videos of the tremendous explosion, along with pedestrians fleeing the fire and automobiles swerving dramatically out of the area. Local reports state that the explosion has destroyed a number of homes and automobiles.
The OR Tambo Memorial Hospital, where some of the victims were being treated, was reportedly receiving gas from the tanker. According to local media sources, patients in a few hospital units had to be evacuated due to the explosion and fire.
Walking through here was nothing short of a sight of utter destruction. Local neighbor Simon Lapping told the Citizen newspaper, “I have never seen anything like this before. He claimed to have seen the bodies of two kids and six adults.
The driver was one of those hurt and was brought to the hospital, according to Ntladi. 15 of the 40 injured are gravely hurt but are in stable condition, while 19 are in critical condition.
According to him, six firefighters also suffered minor injuries.
On those who died in the explosion, there was no instant information.
The truck came from the southeast of South Africa with 60,000 liters of LPG, which is used primarily in cooking and gas burners.
The event will be looked into, according to Tania Campbell, mayor of the municipality of Ekurhuleni, which encompasses Boksburg.
The disaster management cluster is on the scene helping the accident victims and determining what caused the tragedy, she said.
“The office of the executive mayor pledges itself to assisting all role-players in ensuring that a thorough inquiry takes place and those who are accountable are brought to book,” reads the statement on behalf of the city.
