Forty-one people hurt in suspected gas explosion in Johannesburg

Two were in a critical condition

Police officers inspect damaged cars and the road after a suspected gas explosion in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 19. Reuters

A suspected gas explosion ripped through central Johannesburg during rush hour on Wednesday, tearing through a main road and injuring 41 people, South African officials have said.

Emergency services initially blamed underground gas pipes, but the Egoli Gas company said it was "unlikely" the explosion – which cracked tarmac and overturned vehicles including minibus taxis – "was caused by a gas pipeline or leak".

"Our network has experienced no pressure loss which indicates the gas pipelines are intact. Our customers in the area continue to receive gas uninterrupted," the company said in a statement.

"It's a miracle there are no fatalities," said Panyaza Lesufi, the provincial Premier of Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Forty-one people were injured, including two in a critical condition, nine seriously injured and 30 with minor injuries, according to Mr Lesufi.

He said a preliminary investigation did not reveal the cause of the blast. "[The] situation is completely under control," he said.

Experts would "get the full view and advise us".

"The damage is extensive. It's a bad situation... It was peak time."

The 5pm explosion happened as many people were gathering on the street to catch a minibus taxi home, one of South Africa's most common commuting methods in cities. Several minibus taxis and other cars were left on their sides or flipped over, with some lying on top of another vehicle.

Eyewitnesses said that people were already inside some of the minibuses when the explosion threw them into the air. In the immediate moments after the blast, people were seen running as smoke poured out of a crack in the road.

One man, who did not give his name, told television station eNCA that he was in his car when he heard “a big sound. The next thing, I was in the air and my car was overturning,” he said. He said he was shaken but unhurt.

Emergency crews were searching through some of the mangled, overturned vehicles and nearby buildings, and Mr Lesufi said there could be more injured people. He said it was surprising but a relief that no deaths were reported.

Mr Lesufi said rescue workers were worried about the amount of gas that had leaked out as a distinct smell of gas hung in the area.

“This place is still dangerous,” he said.

Earlier this month, a toxic nitrate gas leak killed 17 people, including at least three children, in an informal settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The leak was blamed on an illegal gold processing operation in the settlement.