According to South African officials, an explosion swept through one of Johannesburg’s busiest streets late Wednesday, killing at least one person, wounding 48 others, and damaging a major thoroughfare.
According to Robert Mulaudzi, a spokeswoman for the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, firemen retrieved a man’s body from the debris in the early hours of Thursday.
He added on Twitter that “41 other patients treated for serious to minor injuries on scene” were taken to hospital facilities.
Local media reported hearing a huge explosion in the Central Business District that ripped the road apart, followed by alarms from overturned cabs.
Authorities first assumed that the incident, which closed Lilian Ngoyi Street and several others, was caused by underground gas pipes. Egoli Gas, which manages the city’s pipeline network, stated that a leak was “unlikely.”
“There has been no pressure loss in our network, indicating that the gas pipelines are intact.” “Our customers in the area are still receiving gas,” the business said in a statement.
Panyaza Lesufi, Premier of Gauteng, which encompasses Johannesburg and Pretoria, said police have been dispatched to secure the area, maintain safety, and reroute traffic.
The impacted street and associated roads will stay blocked “while specialists assess the extent of the damage and for the rehabilitation of the roadway,” according to a Lesufi statement issued on Thursday.
The blast is still being investigated.
