‘I saw the road splitting open like a volcano’ – Eye witness recounts Bree Street collapse

Eyewitnesses have described hearing a loud explosion and seeing vehicles overturn during what’s believed to have been an underground gas explosion in the Johannesburg CBD on Wednesday.

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, updates the media on Thursday morning, confirming that one person has died and 48 were injured, with 12 remained in hospital after the explosion swept through Bree Street.

Joburg CBD blast leaves 48 injured, 12 still in hospital, one dead: Premier Lesufi

Joburg CBD Explosion Update: Body recovered by @CityofJoburgEMS Firefighters,#41 other patients treated for serious to minor injuries on scene and later transported to various health care facilities for further medical care. @CityofJoburgZA @CoJPublicSafety #JoburgBravest pic.twitter.com/cExwlrlJ08

— Cojems Spokesperson (@RobertMulaudzi) July 20, 2023

‘A loud bang’

Tiny Khumalo, who is wheelchair bound and resides in an apartment along Bree Street, says she was about to enter the building when she heard a loud bang from behind.

“When I looked on my back after the bang, I thought it was something like a car accident. I don’t know but it was a very big bang. And when I looked, I saw the road splitting open like there is a volcano coming down and splitting the road. The first thing on my mind was my kids. I got inside banging inside the doors, screaming because I could not know what happened inside whilst I was outside.”

Resident shares her story of the JHB CBD gas explosion

Taxis overturned with passengers inside 

Another eyewitness, Anelisa Mpisani, says he was standing along Bree Street when the explosion occurred. He says he just saw vehicles and taxis overturn.

Mpisani says some of the taxis that overturned had passengers inside.

“So, the taxis were packed on top of each other. The road started opening up. When you go up even now there is a smoke coming out under the ground. You can see, maybe there is a big pipe under the ground that just exploded. The power and the pressure just burst it out. When you go up there you will see the smoke and smell the smell it is very strong. Even when you go there you become so dizzy at the same time.”

Smell of gas 

Witnesses reported smelling gas after the explosion.

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, who visited the scene last night, said the buildings around the epicentre of the gas explosion are being evacuated.

City Power technicians were also on the ground to assess the situation. Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said there are underground electrical cables that run parallel with water pipes at the epicentre; and that up north of Bree Street there is a substation that supplies electricity to most parts of the inner city.

Technicians were checking whether this substation is affected or not.

Johannesburg City Manager, Floyd Brink, says: “We still need to do some search and rescue. We will also need to check the structural integrity of the buildings surrounding this area to see what is it that we need to do to evacuate the people here. So, we have the disaster management and emergency management is here.”

Some of the tenants of the nearby buildings could be seen with their luggage leaving the buildings last night.

Joburg CBD Explosion I One dead and 41 injured – Mbalenhle Mthethwa reports: