Funviralpark At least eight people were killed and 50 injured on Saturday when a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded in the South African town of Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
Johannesburg — At least eight people were killed and 50 injured when a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded on Saturday in the South African town of Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, officials said.
Paramedics said the top of the truck scraped a low bridge and caught fire, causing an explosion.
Video footage shared by residents on social media showed a dramatic explosion, with pedestrians fleeing the flames and cars speeding away dramatically. or vehicle was damaged.
The tanker was reportedly carrying gas to nearby OR Tambo Memorial Hospital, where some of the wounded were being treated. Local media reports said patients in some units of the hospital were forced to evacuate due to the explosion and fire.
Local resident Simon Lapping told local Citizen newspaper: “Just walking around here was a sight of complete devastation. I had never seen anything like it before.” said. He said he saw the bodies of six adults and two children.
Tania Campbell, mayor of Ekurleni, a municipality that includes Boksburg, said the incident would be investigated.
“The Disaster Management Cluster is on the ground helping victims of this tragedy and assessing the causes of the accident,” she said. “On behalf of the city, the mayor’s office is committed to assisting all role players in ensuring that a comprehensive investigation is conducted and those responsible are booked.”
