After a gas tanker explosion in the South African city of Boksburg, 20 kilometers east of Johannesburg, the death toll has risen to 15. This was announced by South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla and Gauteng Regional Government Health Officer Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko during a visit to Tambo Memorial Hospital on Sunday.
On Saturday, the gas tanker exploded on a bridge in the immediate vicinity of the hospital. According to Phaahla, 37 people in the hospital, including 13 hospital employees, suffered serious injuries from the meter-high fireball. Two nurses and an ambulance driver were among the dead.
The hospital was badly damaged by the blast of the explosion. Parts of the building were still in danger of collapsing one day after the accident. A spokesman for the local emergency services had already announced on Saturday that two other houses had burned down. No further details were initially known about the cause of the explosion.
