Boksburg explosion: Ekurhuleni metro report released

While the death toll of the 24 December Boksburg gas truck explosion climbed to 37 this week, a report by the Ekurhuleni metro details some of the challenges on the scene of the incident.

The report reveals that attempts to first cool down the gas, to make the leak manageable as it has a very low boiling point, and manage the 60 000 litres of LPG, were unsuccessful and that attempts to shoo away onlookers, many of whom later became fatalities or casualties, were equally unsuccessful.

Report details

There are still about 50 injured people in hospital. The report, addressed to mayor Tania Campbell, was presented by the head of the department of disaster and emergency management, Mhlengi Makhubalo, and detailed the first five days at Boksburg’s Ground Zero.

“On the 24th of December, 2022 at about 06h50, Boksburg Central Fire Station received a motor vehicle accident, a call involving a gas tanker truck that was stuck under the bridge at Hospital Road.

“The Boksburg central fire station received a call through a private security company that came to the fire station to report the incident.”

In the report it noted that when emergency services arrived, flames were already visible at the top end of the tanker that was tightly squeezed against the roof of the bridge.

It also unpacked the reason why an LPG leak could end up causing a disaster: “LPG vapours can run for long distances along the ground and can collect in drains or basements.

LPG leak reason

When the gas meets a source of ignition it can burn or explode. Cylinders can explode if involved in a fire. “LPG can cause cold burns to the skin, and it can act as an asphyxiant at high concentrations.

LPG is approximately twice as heavy as air when in gas form and will tend to sink to the lowest possible level and may accumulate in cellars, pits, drains, etc.”

Explosion time

According to reports, the final and deadliest explosion occurred between 7.05am and 7.15am, leaving emergency services with little time to quell the initial blaze that formed around the tanker.

The report indicated the challenges that the fire department faced in situ: “The first arriving crew had to cool off the tank to avoid Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapour and Explosion.

“This was a very complex incident compared to previous incident as it occurred in a confined space, with limited access (for) the firefighters to manoeuvre around the incident.

“In most incidents it is the valve that usually catches fire, and in this case the top of the tank was open. “This made it difficult for firefighters to shut down the gas supply because the tank was already damaged by the friction force caused while the truck was driving underneath the bridge.”

Recommendation

The report recommended: “An inquest docket will be opened that will determine whether the incident is regarded as culpable homicide.”

Lack of adequate signage

Meanwhile a separate letter – also seen by The Citizen and authored by MMC for roads and transport Mabekenyane Thamahane – addressed the lack of adequate signage forewarning drivers of a height-restricted bridge.

NOW READ: Poor signage may have contributed to Boksburg explosion incident

The Citizen first reported on this infrastructural question mark within days of the incident. Thamahane wrote to Sizwe Cele, head of roads and transport department, stating that he believed the warning signs were adequate.

He wrote that the warning sign was visibly attached to the bridge prior to the incident: “Although the sign was not in a good condition, it was legible.

“The roads department can therefore state with certainty that all indications show that the sign was attached to the bridge at the time of the incident.

The sign was detached from the bridge during the blast and is lying in the rubble, but all paint and markings have been burnt off completely.”

Thamahane also recommended that what’s left of the rail and motorway bridge structures be demolished. “There are two bridges which have been damaged.

The bridge decks of both bridges must be demolished and reconstructed. The abutments of both bridges have also been severely damaged and will require significant repairs, or replacement.”

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