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Rebuilding lives after deadly gas tanker explosion in Boksburg

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Rebuilding their lives has been difficult, nearly six months after the deadly Boksburg Christmas Eve tanker explosion, which devastated the community and killed 37 people, including 24 patients and 13 staff members.

For many of the residents of this area, the memories of that terrifying day remain etched in their minds.

“I heard the first two explosions [and when] the third one came, it was huge. I ran outside to go look. I saw dead people and people who were burnt. At the hospital, I know it was casualty and X-ray and maternity ward but it’s fixed now,” say some of those who witness the explosion.

All the injured people were sent to other hospitals, as the casualty, maternity, and operating theatre wards were badly damaged.

The provincial government assured residents they would do all they can to fix the damaged units.

Months later, some units have been fixed. But there have been some complaints of no water and electricity in some of the areas. A claim the hospital CEO has refuted.

Tambo Memorial Hospital CEO Zenzo Ndbula says, “The hospital does have challenges in terms of its infrastructure. These challenges are continuously being addressed. The pace might not be as fast, [but] all areas that were affected by the explosion were attended to and were back in operation as of Friday 27 January. There are no challenges with electricity and water … not as a result of the explosion.”

The video below is reporting more on the story:

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