18 persons have reportedly died following a gas tanker explosion that happened in Johannesburg on Christmas Eve.
The said explosion tore the roof off the emergency department at the Tambo Memorial Hospital, destroyed two houses, and several cars, and injured bystanders up to 500 metres from the scene in Boksburg.
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The police said the truck driver has been arrested on suspicion of culpable homicide
“Of the 18 deceased people, nine are Tambo Memorial Hospital staff,” the Gauteng Department of Health said in a statement.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement said hospital patients and children were among the dead.
“The nation’s hearts go out to everyone affected by this devastating incident,” he added in the statement.
President Ramaphosa has promised to support people affected by the blast.