By: Natasha Archary
The death toll from the Boksburg tanker explosion has climbed to 37. This comes after number of victims from the Christmas Eve tragedy was amended from 15 to 27 on 29 December.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed that the death toll has risen, after the discovery of more body parts around the area of the blast.
On Wednesday, 04 January, Lesufi extended condolences to all who were affected by the tanker explosion.
The Premier said over 50 people were injured, 35 of whom were hospital employees at Tambo Memorial.
Of the 37 deaths, 12 were healthcare workers.
The gas tanker exploded after getting stuck under a low bridge, which wasn’t clearly marked with any height restrtictions.
On impact, the tanker which was transporting liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from Richards Bay to Botswana, exploded.
While the driver was initially arrested, facing several charges of culpable homicide, he has since been cleared and released due to insufficient evidence against him.
Meanwhile, the company he works for, Infinite Fleet Transport has also been cleared of non-compliance.
The driver said he had taken a wrong exit and ended up in Boksburg, trying to navigate his way out and onto the correct highway.
He said he tried to warn people who approached the bridge to what happened to clear the scene but they didn’t heed his advice.
Also read: Babes Wodumo unlocks Mampintsha’s phone, shares video from his Facebook
