Suspected gas explosion in Johannesburg rips open roads and flips cars during rush hour, injuring 9

abcnews.go.com:

Authorities in South Africa say a suspected underground gas explosion during Johannesburg’s evening rush hour ripped open roads and flipped more than 20 cars in South Africa’s biggest city

JOHANNESBURG — A suspected underground gas explosion during Johannesburg's evening rush hour ripped open roads and flipped more than 20 cars in South Africa’s biggest city Wednesday, injuring at least nine people, authorities said.

The nine were sent to the hospital with injuries that authorities said were not life threatening. Other people were evacuated from the area due to fears of a second explosion or that multi-story buildings in a downtown section of the city that has become rundown in places might collapse.

“Buildings are in danger of collapsing,” Panyaza Lesufi, the premier of Gauteng province, where Johannesburg is located, said. “The damage is extensive.”

Authorities estimated that an area covering five city blocks was damaged. Lesufi said he counted 23 overturned vehicles. Huge cracks and holes appeared in the middle of roads, some so big that vehicles slid down into them.

Lesufi said that while gas was suspected as the cause of the explosion on downtown Johannesburg's busy Bree Street, it was not clear if it came from a leak in the city's underground pipes or from another, undetermined source.

Johannesburg gas supplier Egoli Gas said in a statement it was unlikely that one of its pipelines was responsible. The company said there was no interruption in its supply in the area and its investigators had found no leaks.

The 5 p.m. explosion happened as many people were gathering on the street to catch a minibus taxi home, one of South Africa's most common commuting methods in cities. Several minibus taxis and other cars were