- President Cyril Ramaphosa has mourned those killed in the Boksburg gas tanker explosion on Christmas Eve.
- Eighteen people were killed, including firefighters and staff at the nearby OR Tambo Memorial Hospital.
- An investigation is underway to determine what caused the tanker explosion.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has lamented the loss of life due to the explosion of a gas tanker truck in Boksburg.
The explosion, which took place on Christmas Eve near the OR Tambo Memorial hospital, killed 18 people and injured many others. There was also significant damage to the surrounding public infrastructure.
Among the dead were eight nurses and a driver from Tambo Memorial Hospital, while eight firefighters were injured.
READ | Boksburg explosion: ‘It was like a zombie movie’ – witness
Ramaphosa said his thoughts “are with the families and friends of those who died in the incident” and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“The hearts of the nation go out to all those affected by this devastating incident. Such events take on the greatest sadness and tragedy when they occur at this time of year when we all pray for safety and hope for the togetherness and comfort of an extended time with family. and friends,” Ramaphosa said.
“In this case, the loss of life becomes more intense because some of the victims were hospital patients, hospital staff and children, while firefighters are among the injured.”
The president expressed his appreciation for the rescue and recovery efforts of government agencies and organizations like Gift of the Givers.
The 32-year-old trucker was arrested Sunday on suspicion of manslaughter.
An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the explosion on the tanker, which is believed to have been carrying 60,000 liters of liquefied petroleum gas. The first indications are that the tanker truck did not fit under the low bridge, it was damaged, caught fire and exploded.
Ramafosa said:
As we await the outcome of the investigations into this tragedy, this incident, like so many others, calls on all of us to show due care and avoid risks when on our roads that we share as a public service.
The national and provincial health departments assessed the damage to the hospital and the Ekurhuleni municipality started the process of relocating families whose houses were destroyed by the blast.
“As a government, we are taking all necessary steps to provide relief to those affected by the incident and we are inspired by our own efforts from the ubuntu demos we are seeing from communities and community organizations,” he said.
“While these interventions bring us hope and light in our darkest hour, we must always live with the determination to prevent such catastrophes from happening in the first place.”
