At least ten people died and about fifty were injured, including firefighters, by the burst this Saturday of a tanker truck which was transporting fuel near the South African city of johannesburgconfirmed the country’s emergency services.
According to the emergency services of the metropolitan district of ekurhulenieast of Johannesburg, where Boksburg is located, the town where the explosion took place, the tanker truck got stuck under a bridge and the rub with the top of the vehicle caused the fire.
“Apparently, a gas (liquefied petroleum) tanker truck drove under the bridge (…) and got stuck, and because of the friction, it caught fire,” the spokesman for the emergency services said in statements to local media. William Ntladi.
“I was walking around here and it is a panorama of absolute devastation, I have never seen anything like it”, recounted the local resident simon lapping to the local newspaper citizen. She narrated that she saw the bodies of six adults and two children.
The incident is being investigated, he said. Tanya Campbellthe mayor of Ekurhuleni, the municipality that includes Boksburg.
“The disaster management unit is on the scene, assisting the victims of this tragedy and investigating the causes of this accident,” Campbell said. “On behalf of the municipality, the mayor’s office is committed to assisting all those affected and conducting a thorough investigation in order to assign responsibilities.”
According to Ntladi, six firefighters went to extinguish the flames, but while they were trying to do so, an explosion occurred.
“We can confirm eight deaths up to now,” said the spokesman, detailing that “the fire is under control” and firefighters are still working to extinguish it.
The explosion also affected adjoining buildings, including two houses where fires broke out and the Tambo Memorial Hospital, located about 100 meters away, where some victims were initially taken, although they later had to be evacuated when part of the roof of the hospital collapsed. emergency room.
“The explosion reached our emergency room in such a way that the patients had to be evacuated (…) Bystanders have been injured, including some of our workers,” said the executive director of the medical center, zenzo ndabula.
(With information from EFE and AP)
News in development…
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Source-www.infobae.com