Eight people died after a fuel tanker truck exploded in Boksburg on the East Rand of Gauteng on Saturday morning.
Emergency workers are on the scene on Railway Street near Tambo Memorial Hospital.
Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesman William Ntladi said eight people died, while dozens more were admitted to the hospital’s emergency unit.
However, there are concerns that hospital patients will need to be evacuated because the explosion caused a structural collapse in the hospital.
“We can confirm that a section of the ceiling in the emergency department of the hospital collapsed,” Ntladi said.
A fire is believed to have broken out after a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas scraped the top of its roof while driving under a low bridge.
“Apparently a gas tanker truck went under the metro bridge and got stuck there, and due to friction, it caught fire,” Ntladi said.
He said six firefighters from the Boksburg Central Fire Station were called to the scene to extinguish the fire.
“While the fire was being extinguished, an explosion occurred,” Ntladi said.
He said a fire truck and two motor vehicles were also destroyed in the blast.
Ntladi said firefighters were fighting the scene of the fire, as well as two houses near the explosion.
“The fire is under control and more information will be released later.”
*This is a developing story
