South Africa: Johannesburg Officials Backtrack on Gas Being Cause of Street Blast

@KabeloGwamanda / Twitter
A picture shared by Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, shows the damage to Lilian Ngoyi Street (formerly Bree Street) caused by an explosion on July 19, 2023.
28 July 2023
allAfrica.com
By Jerry Chifamba

Harare — The cause of the deadly explosion in Johannesburg is still not known, according to authorities who had earlier said it was caused by gas, IOL reports.

This comes barely a week after Joburg City Manager Floyd Brink said that the explosion was caused by a gas leak. "Still inconclusive on the cause of theBrink doubled down, saying results are "still inconclusive on the cause of the explosion and what may have ignited the gas or the source of the gas in the underground tunnels".

The explosion on July 19, 2023 tore through part of Lillian Ngoyi Street (formerly Bree Street), killing one person, causing extensive damage and injuring 48 others.

Shortly after the blast, Brink said there were three possible causes - ignition of methane gas in underground storm water systems due to sewage ingress could have led to the blast, the  ignition of natural gas, mixed with oxygen in underground storm water drainage systems or service ducts, and the ignition of gas from a gas pipe burst.

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