A truck carrying liquefied petroleum fuel exploded in the South African city of Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, killing at least 8 others and wounding 50 others on Saturday, officials said.
The roof of the van scraped off a low bridge, sparking flames that sparked the explosion, according to emergency service officials.
Video footage shared through citizens on social media showed the dramatic explosion, with pedestrians fleeing the chimney and cars above. Several houses and cars were vandalized by the blast, according to local reports.
The tanker would have delivered fuel to the O. R. near Tambo Memorial, where some of the wounded were treated. Patients in some parts of the hospital had to be evacuated due to the explosion and fire, according to media reports.
“Walking around here I only saw absolute devastation, I had never noticed anything like this before,” Simon Lapping, a local resident, told local newspaper Citizen. He said he saw the bodies of six adults and two children.
The incident will be investigated, said Tania Campbell, mayor of Ekurhuleni, Boksburg municipality.
“The crisis control group is on site to assist the victims of this tragedy and assess the cause of the accident,” he said. “On behalf of the city, the Executive Mayor’s Office is committed to assisting all actors to ensure that the investigation takes a stand and the culprits are brought to justice. “