Structural Jozi buildings integrity under scrutiny

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At least one person was killed, and 41 others injured following gas explosion during rush hour on Wednesday afternoon in Jozi CBD.

According to reports, an explosion caused the road to cave in and resulted in several vehicles being flung from the road or toppled by the force of the blast.

JHB CBD – #BreeStreet CCTV catches the underground explosion pic.twitter.com/ZLCXCqUcos

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The DA Caucus Leader in Johannesburg Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku says they are deeply concerned about seeming lack of involvement of crucial departments in trying to get to the bottom of the blast.

“We note that the Premier, speaking on behalf of the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg seems to be focused on the cause of the explosion, while important, we have not heard a clear disaster Management plan and what the inspections will include.

“Whilst relying on the Joint Operations Committee, the buildings all along Lilian Ngoyi Street need to be inspected for structural integrity by the Development Planning Building Inspectors.

“Inspections on the buildings along this road need to form part of the integrated response to avoid building collapse which could potentially lead to more injuries and possible loss of lives,” Kayser-Echeozonjoku expressed.

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Meanwhile, the pipeline running on the road servitude of Bree Street has been checked and is not damaged, Egoli Gas confirmed.

“A small leak has been detected on the servitude pipeline at the corner of Bree and Eloff on a 100mm pipe. We believe the crack in the pipe has been caused by the collapse of the road. Our team is busy repairing this leak.

“We note that there are approximately fifteen other utility lines in the same area, for example a sewerage line that runs directly underneath the street. We would like to reiterate that our pipelines run on the servitude of the road,” read the statement.

Egoli Gas further said it observed through various platforms and by onsite members that one or two manhole covers have been blown off and a white gas-like substance is seen coming from these openings as well as some of the exposed cracks in the road.