Johannesburg: Fears of a second gas explosion.

On Wednesday (19 July) a massive explosion rocked Johannesburg (South Africa).

First feared to be an earthquake or a bomb, the blast split apart Bree Street, threw up to 23 cars (including mini-bus taxis) into the air, 48 people were injured, and there's one confirmed fatality.

It is now thought to be a gas explosion, although details remain sketchy, disputed, and I think downright covered-up.

Let's just have a maze of endless investigations and commissions, until what passes as reporters these days lose interest and move to the next hot topic ... or so it goes in SA.

See some footage and commentary (by Chris Wyatt) here:



Meanwhile, fears of further explosions remain, and, as the BBC reports, the public is urged to avoid the area.
www.bbc.com...

a reply to: halfoldman

Winding down maintenance to save money, means that you will have a problem keeping what's considered a modern society going. It seems to be happening in a lot of countries as the downturn spreads.

Some more footage and commentary so far from SABC News:

a reply to: halfoldman

Odd.


For such a large "explosion" there seems to have been very little smoke, and no visible flame (that I saw in the video).

If this was the result of methane or some other natural gas, I would have expected to see much more open flame: take for example, the inferno that erupted when a large natural gas line ruptured in San Bruno, California several years ago.

Curious.

Oh no, Jo'burg is imploding.

Millions of semi-refugees coming.

Cape Town, let's dig that moat.

Oh, I thought we already had a bog next to the castle.

a reply to: halfoldman

It could have been a methane buildup in the sewers it happened in Mexico a few years back.If the pumps are down because of blackouts that would make the sewers into methane producers.

a reply to: halfoldman

There are now reports on social media of another explosion in Kenpton Park. But I think it is just a gas cylinder.

a reply to: deltaalphanovember

Yip, dynamite with a gas cylinder.

I don't know much about illegal mining, but people are desperate and starving.

Perhaps DIY attempts to get every grain of precious metal out of the former "Egol", the historic "city of gold".

According to News 24: Investigations into Bree Street blast continue.

How reassuring.

I'm sure property prices went through the roof.

Yes, Bree Street.

No, it's not just a cheese, or mom on Desperate Housewives.