Joburg explosion: One person found dead under taxi rubble, 48 others injured and 37 vehicles damaged

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The explosion that rocked the Johannesburg CBD on Wednesday afternoon and damaged roads and vehicles has claimed one life.

City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi confirmed on Thursday morning that a man’s body was found near the site of the explosion.

“We recovered the body of a male around the area where the incident happened,” said Mulaudzi on SAFM.

He said emergency services recovered the body early on Thursday morning while moving the damaged vehicles.

“It looks like the person was trapped under the rubble of a taxi.”

According to Mulaudzi, this brings to 42 the number of people affected by the explosion, as 41 others were injured.

Two of the injured are said to be in critical condition in hospital.

“Thirty-seven vehicles, most of them minibus taxis, were damaged,” he added.

Egoli Gas said in a statement that it was unlikely that the explosion “was caused by a gas pipeline or leak” in its network, which it said “has experienced no pressure loss, which indicates the gas pipelines are intact”.

Mulaudzi added: “We are unable to confirm the cause of the explosion, and the investigation is still ongoing. We have to start investigating along that pipeline, but it might be illegal mining in the area … But we are not in a position to confirm the cause.” _*— News24*_