One more person has passed away following a deadly tanker explosion in Boksburg on Saturday, taking the death toll to 27.
The Gauteng Department of Health has confirmed that the 27th fatality from the explosion was other healthcare worker.
“The Department of Health confirms that the death toll now stands at 27 from the Boksburg explosion. Ten of these are health workers from Tambo Memorial Hospital,” said DoH spokesperson, Foster Mohale.
The department’s head of communication Motlatale Modiba said of the 13 healthcare workers injured in the blast, only three were still alive and in critical condition.
“It has been a very difficult week, the impact of this disaster is felt far and wide and it has been most devastating to affected families including those who are on the front line of providing healthcare services.
“Of the 27 deaths, sadly again we have lost another healthcare worker, which brings the total number of healthcare workers to 10 who have since passed on. This means of the 13 members who were injured from the blast, only three are still alive and the three are still in a critical stage in the hospital.
“Our sincere condolences once more to the affected families and we also wish a speedy recovery to those that are still in hospital,” he said.
On December 24, Emer-G-Med reported that multiple emergency services responded to the scene of an explosion on Railway Street in the Boksburg area, south of Johannesburg.
Spokesperson, Kyle van Reenen, said the tanker carrying L.P gas caught fire following a collusion which led it to explode.
Authorities had earlier said 18 people died, but the number was expected to rise because of the severe nature of the burns inflicted by the blast.
The truck driver who was earlier arrested on suspicion of culpable homicide, was released on Wednesday due to lack of evidence, local media reported.
Source: Times Live, IOL, Moneyweb, Eyewitness News, image from Twitter: @brian300981