Residents evacuated after serious Sasol gas leak
Gas pipes damaged by alleged attempted theft.
At about 4pm yesterday (26 June) various branches of the Roodepoort CPF averted a potential catastrophe when gas started leaking from a Sasol pipe after someone attempted to steal equipment.
A call came through on the Roodepoort Sector 3 radio system of a possible leak near Battery Centre on Sonop Street in Horison.
Without delay Horison, Horizon View, Ontdekkers Park South and Tornado block watch members rushed to the scene to verify it.
In Adderley Street, just before the railway, an area that belongs to Sasol had a serious gas leak. According to Roodepoort CPF chairperson Leon Vieira and Greg Hogan the thundering noise was heard kilometres away as natural gas was leaking into the area.
The block watches’ patrollers immediately blocked off traffic at the Sonop and Adderley Streets intersection, and also at Albertina Sisulu Road and Nywerheid Street intersection. Any spark could have set off the gas at any moment and kill everyone in the area, they said. Roodepoort CPF and the various block watches on scene immediately executed the decision to evacuate people from the residential complexes and houses close to the leaking gas.
The Fire Department, Metro Police and police also arrived at the scene and assisted with crowd control. Staff from Sasol eventually sealed off the pipe after it had been leaking for almost two hours.
After half an hour residents were allowed to return to their homes.
“Hundreds of lives could potentially have been lost if it were not for the brave acts by members of the block watches, CPF, Metro Police, Fire and police. As chairman of Roodepoort CPF I salute you,” said Vieira.
Appreciation for the teams’ brave efforts streamed in from far and wide.
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