Gift of the Givers’ Doctor Imtiaz Sooliman says at least two homes were damaged after the explosion of a gas tanker in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, on Saturday.
Fifteen people were killed after the tanker got stuck under a low bridge and exploded. Sooliman says teams remain deployed to assist with emergency supplies and the immediate needs of the communities affected in the vicinity of the incident.
“It damaged two of the houses outside the hospital. It brought down the entire emergency department of the hospital. As a result of that, people had to be evacuated from the emergency department. Patients had to be moved from the ICU to other parts of the hospital. Six nurses and a doctor were injured. Onlookers initially saw the first fire and started coming closer and when the explosion happened, it caught everyone of guard. Some of them were severely burnt. There were 163 casualties, and some are still missing.”
Dr Sooliman speaks to Lotus FM’s Newsbreak:
Driver of tanker arrested
The driver of the gas tanker that exploded in Boksburg has been arrested. The 32-year-old suspect was arrested at a private hospital where he had been receiving medical treatment for minor injuries.
The driver has been charged with multiple counts of culpable homicide, negligent driving, negligent causing of an explosion resulting in death and malicious damage to property.
Gauteng Police Spokesperson Brenda Muridili says the driver was arrested earlier on Sunday.
“The driver as well as several people who sustained injuries, including eight firefighters were taken to various hospitals for medical treatment. Thus far, 15 people are reported to have sustained fatal injuries including a 10-year-old boy. The full damage to infrastructure as well as private property will be communicated in due course. The incident scene is still being cleared. The suspect will appear before the Boksburg Magistrate’s on 28 December.”
