The victim of the Bree Street explosion that happened yesterday has been identified as a 41-year-old man. Addressing the media this afternoon on the explosion, Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the man was identified through fingerprint technology. He said two victims remained critical in the hospital. Lesufi said the deceased’s name could not be disclosed as his family was not informed yet.
INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUES
Lesufi said the Department of Labour held their own investigations and has established that the explosion emanated from three manholes in the Johannesburg CBD. He said they were still assessing for similarities from the Yeoville explosion, where Telkom towers were affected more than ten years ago. "The Department of Labour said, for now, they cannot put it out to the public what exactly they’ve uncovered because their investigations were still ongoing," he said. Lesufi said there is no confirmation regarding the cause of the explosion. "We will await proper reports from engineers who have been assessing the quality of the buildings after the explosion. The damage is extensive and I can confirm that the entire Bree Street corridor will be closed off for some time, due to my own assessment of the damage," he added. Lesufi said they have not gotten to a point where they have discussed any compensation with the taxi industry. "The first phase for us was to save lives, restore the area and make sure everyone is safe before we can decide on any funding for the taxi industry because we know how they boost the economy. We thank emergency services and law enforcement for the role they played in this particular matter," Lesufi said. He said the owners of the 34 vehicles that were damaged and trapped were positively identified, adding that 29 of them were minibus taxis.
STREET TO BE CORDONED OFF
SAPS Provincial Commissioner Elias Mawela said barbed wires will be installed around the affected area to limit the movement of people for safety concerns. "The area has had a lot of movement since the explosion and we want to limit that. Even the building nearby is believed to be unsafe and that is why we urge residents to move out if possible because we are treating it as a danger zone," he said.
