Nine people have died and several others have sustained burn wounds ranging from critical to mild after a fuel tanker exploded in Boksburg today.
According to a statement from Emer-G-Med Kyle van Reenen, Emer-G-Med paramedics and multiple emergency service agencies are currently in attendance in Railway Street in Boksburg.
By 11.40am the death toll had risen to nine.
“The death toll has risen to nine as information has been received that one of the critically injured patients demised shortly after arrival at hospital,” Van Reenen said in an update at 11.40am.
“Among the many injured included a firefighter who suffered critical burn wounds and has been taken under the care of an Emergency Care Practitioner to a nearby hospital for further care,” Van Reened said.
“Two people have been airlifted from the scene,” he added.
The truck reportedly belongs to LP Gas and unconfirmed reports suggest the truck drove under a low-lying bridge, scraping the top of the vehicle.
A video shared by Emer-G-Med and videos on social media shows the explosion, as some residents desperately ran away from the explosion and others took their phones out to record.
It’s worth noting that this video by Emer-G-Med is not for sensitive viewers.
Road closures of Hospital Road / Railway Road were put in place shortly after the incident.
This is a developing story.
IOL