Two killed, four injured in explosion at Tshwane school

Two workers have been killed in a gas explosion at the Zodwa Special School in Pretoria. Four others were also injured in the blast in Atteridgeville on Wednesday.

According to Tshwane’s emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso, firefighters responded to the incident at about 10am.  

“Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a collapsed structure of container classrooms that was on fire. They were informed that one person was still trapped in the burning containers.

“A badly burnt and charred body of a male person was discovered during firefighting operations, and a second body of which the gender could not be determined was later discovered as operations continued,” Mabaso said.

Injured patients

Mabaso said the injured patients were transported to hospital

“Four other patients were transported by ambulance to Kalafong Hospital before the arrival of the Tshwane Emergency Services on the scene. It is alleged that the four injured and two deceased are employees of a contractor that was contracted to do repair works on two container classrooms.”

After the fire was extinguished, the scene was handed over to the South African Police Services (Saps) for further investigation into what might have led to the explosion and fire, Mabaso said.

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Factory gutted

Earlier this week, a fire gutted the SVA Electronics factory in Ga-Rankuwa. Firefighters responded to the blaze in Zone 14 industrial area on Sunday evening.

Mabaso said multiple units and plants of SVA Electronics were engulfed by flames when firefighters arrived on the scene.

“Firefighters and factory workers had to move multiple 25-kilogramme bags of polypropylene and drums of methyl ethyl ketone to safety to avoid them catching fire. It has not been determined what other flammable and combustible chemicals were in the factory when approximately 20 units/plants of SVA Electronics were gutted by the blaze.”

Mabaso said firefighters managed to contain the blaze and the incident is being investigated.

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