City engineer confirms pure gas caused Joburg CBD explosion – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

NEWS

Two days after the explosion which sunk a huge part of Bree Street in the Johannesburg CBD, City of Joburg civil engineer and consultant, Johan La Grange, has confirmed a pure gas was the cause.

La Grange was briefing the media in Braamfontein on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, city manager, Floyd Brink, indicated that although the Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS) had completed its assessment between Lilian Ngoyi and Loveday Streets, it has been discovered that the tunnel’s structural integrity was deformed and not stable. Brink said it may collapse at any given time as a result of the movement of cars crossing towards CJ Cronje Building.

The area has now been barricaded for the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

“The rest of the buildings and the foundations are safe. There is nothing that shows or an indication that the buildings are damaged by the explosion in the centre of the street. The only place where we saw damage was at the corner of Joubert Street where there was a channel going to a site. It actually blew up traffic light and you can see the canopy of a vertical blow and that is part of the release of the explosion that shows that it blew out there,” La Grange said. 

La Grange added that efforts were being made to determine the source of the gas leak. He explained that it could not be determined yet “what it is or where it came from”. He added that it was a big explosion and the exact magnitude would be provided in three to four days. 

“EMS has deployed…