The South African Health Minister, Joe Phaahla, has confirmed this Sunday that the death toll from the explosion on Saturday of a tanker truck carrying liquefied gas as it passed through the city of Boksburg (northwest) has risen to fifteen.
Among the deceased is an ambulance driver and two nurses from the Tambo Memorial Hospital, the center that was shaken by the explosion and the subsequent fire that occurred. As a consequence some thirty patients and thirteen staff members suffered severe burns.
The truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded after sustaining damage to its top while trying to cross underneath. The hospital was about 100 meters from the accident, News24 reports.
“You cannot access the emergency and radiology rooms until the structural engineers have done their job,” said the Minister of Health, who confirmed that the driver did not suffer any harm, knowing what could happen, he left the place alerting everyone to do the same.
“The information, if it’s true, knowing what he was carrying…He anticipated trouble, and it was known that he tried to warn people to stay away. That’s the story we’ve received,” Phaahla said.
