1 man is dead and 48 are injured after a suspected gas explosion in downtown Johannesburg
Authorities say one man has been killed and at least 48 people are injured, some of them seriously, after a suspected underground gas explosion ripped open roads and flipped vehicles in the heart of South Africa’s biggest city
JOHANNESBURG — One man died and at least 48 people were injured after a suspected underground gas explosion ripped open roads and flipped vehicles in the heart of South Africa's biggest city, authorities and emergency services said Thursday.
Firefighters found the man's body found under a vehicle.
The cause of the blast at evening rush hour Wednesday in downtown Johannesburg remained unclear. The company that supplies gas to that part of the city said it did not believe its underground pipelines were responsible, as authorities first thought.
An investigation was underway as city authorities brought in specialists to determine what other underground pipes or cables there were in the area and if there was a threat of another explosion or gas leak.
“We are still searching for the source," said Panyaza Lesufi, the premier of the Gauteng province, where Johannesburg is located.
Firefighters discovered the body of the man in a nighttime search of the blast area, Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said on Twitter.
Lesufi said 12 people remained in several Johannesburg hospitals for medical treatment. The other 36 people who were hurt had been discharged, he said.
Some people were evacuated from the area Wednesday night due to fears of a second explosion or that multi-story buildings in a downtown section of the city might collapse. Lesufi said «the damage is extensive.”
However, people returned to the busy area in Johannesburg's central business district on Thursday morning,
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