South Africa: Over 2,500 Police Trainees Evacuated After Tshwane Gas Pipeline Explosion

21 August 2024
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Takudzwa Pongweni

An explosion in a Sasol gas pipeline near the SAPS Training Academy in Tshwane led to the evacuation of more than 2,500 police trainees and officers. This article is free to read.Sign up for free or sign in to continue reading.Unlike our competitors, we don't force you to pay to read the news but we do need your email address to make your experience better.Create your free account or sign in FAQ | Contact Us Nearly there! Create a password to finish signing up with us: You want to receive First Thing, our flagship daily newsletter. Opt out at any time. Please enter your password or get a sign in link if you've forgotten A code has been sent to .... Please check your email and enter your one-time pin below: Didn't get the code? Resend email Use your password instead? Enter password Open in Gmail Open Sesame! Thanks for signing up.

Listen to this article 4 min Listen to this article 4 min On Wednesday morning, more than 2,500 police trainees, along with officers from specialised units, including the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints), were evacuated from the South African Police Service (SAPS) Training Academy in Tshwane after a gas pipeline explosion at a nearby business site.

The explosion ignited a fire close to one of the academy's entrances, prompting the evacuation.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said the safety of police trainees and members was a priority and the evacuation was a precautionary measure.

"The decision to evacuate the trainees, SAPS trainers and members from various specialised units including the Natjoints Coordination Centre (NCC) was taken following advice and consultation from experts.

"Various experts are on site to contain the fire at the adjacent business site. It should be noted that the training academy is not affected and that the evacuation process is a precautionary measure by management."

A venue operational centre, led by the deputy national commissioner of policing, Tebello Mosikili, was established to manage the situation. By Wednesday afternoon, the fire had burnt out.

#sapsHQ Various experts are on site to contain the fire at...

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