Emergency Management Services (EMS), Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers, and other law enforcement officers were deployed to Johannesburg’s central business district (CBD) on Wednesday evening following an explosion at Bree Street.
As gas emerged as the most likely cause of an explosion that rocked the Joburg CBD, claiming one life and leaving 48 people injured, Egoli Gas confirmed that a “small leak” had been detected which it said was likely caused by the explosion.
The explosion in the central business district caused panic, causing a busy street to cave in, with several vehicles blown off the road or toppled by the force of the blast.
"The infrastructure underground in the inner city is congested. We have water, electricity and gas pipes, and any of those pipes due to pressure could have caused this kind of explosion."