July 21 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Authorities in the South African city of Johannesburg have identified three possible causes of a pipe explosion on a city street that has left at least one dead and 48 injured.
The municipal administrator, Floyd Brink, has reported that the explosion that occurred on Wednesday could have been due to “the ignition of methane gas in underground stormwater systems due to the entry of wastewater, the ignition of natural gas mixed with oxygen in systems underground stormwater drains or service pipes, or the ignition of gas from a broken gas pipe”, as reported by the South African newspaper ‘News24’.
One of the first measures taken by the authorities was the closure of the streets adjacent to the site of the explosion and the evacuation of the residents of the area, some of whom had headaches, chest pains and difficulty breathing.
The blast left a “big hole” in the road, into which some people fell, and damaged a large number of vehicles. However, the authorities have ensured that there is no danger in the adjacent buildings and residents will be able to return to their homes.
