Publications
Partners
- Families who suffered deaths in the Boksburg explosion are set to face more trauma.
- They have been asked to identify their deceased loved ones at the Germiston forensic pathology services from Tuesday.
- Meanwhile, the truck driver of the tanker that exploded is set to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
With the heartbreak of the gas truck explosion in Boksburg still heavy in the air, families now face the agonising task of having to identify their relatives who died as a result of the horrific blast.
It comes as the number of fatalities increased to 18, including eight nurses and a driver from Tambo Memorial Hospital that was affected by the explosion in the suburb of Plantation on Saturday morning.
The Gauteng Department of Health advised families to make their way to the mortuary at the Germiston forensic pathology services to identify their loved ones.
"Counselling services to families coming to identify their loved ones will be offered on site through registered counsellors," the department said in a statement on Monday.
Health Minister Joe Phaahla was on a walk-about at the Tambo Memorial Hospital on Sunday.
"Some of the deceased could not be identified facially," he told reporters. "We are informed that children are among the deceased."
READ | 'Explosion was like a ball of fire in the sky': Death and despair in Boksburg Christmas Eve carnage
Phaahla said hospital staff and people in the parking area of the entrance to the casualty ward suffered severe injuries.
While there have been no new admissions to the hospital and some services have been suspended, parts of it remain functional.
The Department of Labour issued a prohibition notice for no work to be carried out in the accident and emergency units and the X-ray department.
"We are not allowed to operate in that area until all assessments are done," Phaahla said.
Experts gathered at the hospital to evaluate what could be salvaged and what needed to be replaced.
Windows were shattered, jumbled electrical cables were hanging from sections of the ceiling that caved in, and lighting fixtures unmounted.
Phaahla said he was expecting a full report on the extent of the damage within a week.
The gas tanker, which was apparently travelling from Richards Bay to Botswana, got stuck while trying to pass under a low-lying bridge.
The impact led to a fire which later resulted in the explosion.
The blast destroyed the bridge, road and railway infrastructure, and private property.
At least two people told News24 that it was not the first time heavy motor vehicles passed through Plantation.
Rolf Bjornstad said community members had tried to stop trucks from driving in the residential area.
He said:
A person known only as Niel, who lives near the bridge, said residents were helpless about trucks passing through the area.
"The council or traffic department should take control and stop the heavy-duty trucks from coming here."
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old driver was arrested on Christmas Day while in hospital for minor injuries.
He is facing charges of multiple counts of culpable homicide, negligent causing of an explosion resulting in death, and malicious damage to property.
He is set to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
