12.25.2022 13:11 (act. 12.25.2022 13:11)
Cleanup after gas tank explosion near Johannesburg ©APA/AFP
After the explosion of a tank truck in the South African city of Boksburg, 20 kilometers east of Johannesburg, the death toll rose to 15. The announcement was made by the Minister of Health of South Africa, Joe Phaahla, and the Gauteng Regional Government Health Officer Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko during a visit to Tambo Memorial Hospital on Sunday.
On Saturday, the tanker truck exploded on a bridge outside the hospital. According to Phaahla, 37 people in the hospital, including 13 hospital staff, suffered serious injuries from the meter-high fireball. Two nurses and an ambulance driver were among the dead.
The hospital was badly damaged by the explosion. Parts of the building were still at risk of collapsing a day after the accident. A spokesperson for the local emergency services had already announced on Saturday that two other houses had been set on fire. No further details were initially known about the cause of the explosion.