By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Johannesburg Emergency Services have confirmed a blast in Bree and Simmonds street in the Johannesburg CBD that has caused the road to partially collapse.
Videos seen on social media showed cars toppled along Bree Street.
Evening Joburg
Following the explosion that happened this afternoon at Jhb CBD, which caused the road to partially collapse. I’ll be heading there this evening, to assess the damage.
Please take note of the following road closures:
Bree & Simmons
Bree & Harrison
Loveday street pic.twitter.com/GzV6viGGsH— Exec. Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda (@KabeloGwamanda) July 19, 2023
According to an alert sent by the Johannesburg Joint Operating Committee of Alexandra, Midrand, Sandringham and Sandton, the explosion took place at about 5.46pm.
“We are aware of an explosion on Bree Street in the Johannesburg CBD possibly on the gas lines underground.”
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring confirmed, that scores of people sustained minor to moderate injuries following the suspected gas explosion in the Joburg CBD.
“Reports thus far show that no one had sustained any fatal injuries,” Meiring said.
The public has been advised to stay clear of the area.
Johannesburg’s metro police department have closed off many streets in the vicinity of Bree Street.
“Our standby teams are on their way to help with the closures, apparently it was an underground gas explosion but it cannot be confirmed yet,” read a communication from the JMPD.
Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi and other officials were on the scene to assess the damage.
According to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng, the explosion has caused serious damage to the city’s infrastructure and properties near the scene of the incident.
“In times like these, it is crucial for us as a community to come together and support one another. We encourage residents to remain vigilant, report any suspicious activities or objects to the authorities, and follow their instructions diligently. It is only through collective efforts that we can maintain a safe environment for all,” said the EFF in a statement.
The party called on law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion and bring those responsible to justice.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is calling on the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mzi Khumalo, to launch an urgent investigation into the cause of the explosion in the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD) earlier this evening.
This explosion is life-threatening for the tens of thousands of workers, job seekers, and residents of the CBD, said DA in a statement.
“The cause of today’s explosion must be determined as a matter of urgency to prevent further incidents like this from occurring again.”
“Furthermore, this explosion occurred along the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) route, which means that the structural integrity of the road must be determined before being used by the public and public transport vehicles.”
The DA proposes that the government must consider moving people out of some buildings that are situated near the scene of the incident to ensure their safety.