Disaster management and emergency services are attempting to clear out residents, business owners and onlookers in the Johannesburg central business district (CBD) after an explosion rocked the city centre on Wednesday evening.
Egoli Gas has claimed the explosion was not the result of a gas leak. In a tweet, Egoli Gas said it believed “it is unlikely that the explosion in Jhb CBD, Bree Street, JHB was caused by a gas pipeline or leak. Our network has experienced no pressure loss which indicates the gas pipelines are intact. Our customers in the area continue to receive gas uninterrupted.”
Egoli Gas is a piped natural gas reticulator, servicing more than 8,500 customers across various markets in the Greater Johannesburg area with regulated servicing the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal industries.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi told media on the scene that emergency teams were assessing the area where gas could still be smelled in the air even after 8pm on Wednesday night.
Lesufi said that it was extremely worrying that even though the gas explosion caused massive destruction to the tarred road and possible damage to the foundations of a number of high rise buildings in the area, onlookers were still in the area walking around.
He has further confirmed that Egoli Gas experts were on the scene still assessing where the gas explosion emanated from, what is the gas that is currently being inhaled by those in the CBD and how best to control the situation.
Lesufi said that some people in the area were complaining of headaches and chest pains and emergency services were treating them.
He said it was imperative that Egoli Gas experts find the gas line and close it soon.
City Manager Floyd Brinks said the area remains a risk and disaster however they were still waiting on a report from the initial assessment before they could report back to the public on the way forward.
He said, importantly, the assessors were assessing the structural integrity of the buildings to avoid further disaster.