Johannesburg – At least 41 people were injured on Wednesday in the CBD when a suspected underground gas explosion tore up the tarmac along Bree Street, which resulted in several vehicle crashes.
The explosion occurred during peak traffic, as thousands of commuters were leaving the CBD at about 18:00.
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The SA National Taxi Council in Gauteng said as many as 23 vehicles including minibus taxis were affected.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said 41 people were injured, including two in critical condition, nine seriously injured, and 30 with minor injuries.
Its a miracle there were no fatalities, Lesufi told journalists.
He said experts were trying to determine the cause of the explosion thought to be linked to underground gas pipes.
However, Egoli Gas company said it was unlikely that the explosion was caused by a pipeline or leak.
Our network did not suffer pressure loss, which indicates that the gas pipelines are intact. Our customers in the region continue receiving gas uninterruptedly, Egoli Gas said in a terse notice.
Meanwhile, City Power services within the Johannesburg CBD were affected by the explosion that happened earlier this evening.
Three electricity substations Bree, Braamfontein, and Johnware were affected.
The Joint Command Team comprising the City of Johannesburg Emergency Services, Disaster Management, and other emergency provincial units were on the scene after the explosion.
“From the preliminary assessments, it does not look like the three substations were affected immediately after the explosion around 17h30 as power in some areas was still on,” said City Power Spokesperson Isaac Mangena late Wednesday.
The substations were affected by load-shedding from 18:00 until 20:00.
“Our teams decided that we should not switch them on for fear that it might ignite with reports of a suspected gas leak in the vicinity,” said Mangena.
Bree substation is a few metres away from the area where there was a huge impact. The suspicion is that its structural integrity may have been affected.
“Our team of engineers and technicians were on site doing assessments and tests on the network to get the extent of the impact on the electricity infrastructure,” said Mangena.
“Unfortunately, one City Power employee was injured during the explosion on her way to work, and she is one of those currently hospitalised.
“Our teams will not be responding to outage calls in the CBD until the area has been declared safe to access and work.
“We will update customers on the developments in terms of electricity supply, and the City of Joburg leadership will give regular updates on all the services impacted, including electricity.”
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) warned that several roads would remain closed Thursday.
“Motorists are advised that Lilian Ngoyi (Bree) Street in the Johannesburg CBD is closed off to traffic between Pixely Ka Seme (Sauer) and Von Weilligh Street,” said JMPD Spokesperson Xolani Fihla.
“Also expect closures on all the streets crossing Lilian Ngoyi Street between Rahima Moosa and Plein Street, and these include Simmonds Street, Harrison Street, Loveday Street, Rissik Street, Joubert Street, Eloff Street, and Von Brandis Street.”
