At least 15 people have been killed, and about 40
injured, by a huge fuel tanker explosion near a hospital east of Johannesburg.
The tanker appeared to have got stuck under a low bridge on Saturday morning in
Boksburg city, about 100m from Tambo Memorial Hospital.
Patients were evacuated from the hospital’s casualty after part of the roof
collapsed following the blast.
The truck was carrying liquid petroleum gas.
“Apparently, a gas tanker drove under the subway bridge and got stuck in there,
and due to friction, it caught alight,” emergency services spokesperson William
Ntladi was quoted as saying.
As firefighters tried to put out the blaze, there was a huge second explosion –
captured on amateur video – that destroyed a fire engine and two motor
vehicles.
There are fears the death toll could rise, as 19 people are in critical
condition and 15 others are stable but seriously hurt, AFP reports.
Eyewitness Michael Kulinji described the blast as “more like a bomb” and told
the Reuters news agency that he had seen the fire under the bridge.
Another witness, Jean Marie Booysen, said that she saw “immense flames at about
06:35 local time (04:35 GMT) and thought “this feels like 6.5 on the Richter”,
according to Reuters.
Footage apparently taken in the immediate aftermath of the blast shows a number
of dazed and burned people stumbling around a residential area near the
epicentre.
“The Driver of the truck is alive working same company with
my brother, according to my brother's explanation, he says the driver tried to
drive through under that bridge because there was no sign to show the height
but only to realize the danger when his truck stuck under the bridge.
then he gets off nicely and went to report to
police before the explosion, the explosion only started when he got back from
police station to remove the truck on the road, the first explosion had no impact
and he says only the driver and 2 people got harmed but not that much, he tried
to tell people to move away Before the second explosion but people didn't
listen some were busy coming closer thinking maybe they can loot something and
taking pics till the second explosion took place which leave many death and
other injuries”- statement from the truck driver
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