Dramatic moment A huge explosion bounces cars off the road in Johannesburg narrowly missing pedestrians in the explosion that injured dozens and killed one
- Images show road cracking in the city’s Central Business District
- The gas supplier denies that the leak is the cause of the sudden explosion in Bree Street
An explosion of hitherto unknown origin ripped through a Johannesburg street on Wednesday, July 19, killing one person and injuring dozens.
Security CCTV footage from a nearby building shows the moment the explosion occurred in the city’s central business district, tearing through the asphalt and sending minibuses and taxis into the air.
The cause of the explosion in Bree Street has not yet been confirmed and authorities have warned the public to avoid the area for safety reasons.
The video shows pedestrians running frantically on the sidewalks after the explosion.
Most of the vehicles appear to have been rendered unable to move as a result of the explosion, and a van is shown attempting to back up on the street.
A powerful explosion ripped through a street in Johannesburg’s central business district.
The explosion left a large crack in the middle of Bree Street, as well as a gaping hole in the track.
Minibuses were sent flying by the sudden explosion, the cause of which is still unknown
Around a dozen people were injured and one dead from the sudden incident.
Some people needed to be rescued after getting trapped in their cars.
The images show a large crack in the middle of the road, as well as a huge hole left by the explosion.
Robert Mulaudzi, a spokesman for the Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS), said at least 11 people were injured in the blast.
One of them was seriously injured, according to reports.
A disaster management team is in the area and has cordoned off a 1 km area due to the risk of further explosions.
The buildings are also being assessed for structural damage as a result of the blast.
A gas leak is suspected to be the cause of the sudden incident, with some locals reporting odors in the area.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but the area’s gas supplier denied it was the result of a leak.
But Egoli Gas, which manages the pipeline under the street, denied the explosion was the result of its network and said investigations had turned up no signs of a leak.
He pointed to the fact that its gas lines run at extremely low pressure to the side of the road and were left intact when the track split from the center.
In a tweet, he said: “The explosion in Johannesbury’s CBD, Bree Street, is unlikely to have been caused by a pipeline or leak.
“Our network has not experienced a loss of pressure, indicating that the pipelines are intact. Our customers in the area continue to receive gas without interruption.”
