Joburg CBD explosion findings rule out negligence, eGoli gas, zama zamas
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) finally delivered the much-anticipated report on the Joburg CBD explosion. WHAT THE EXPERTS CAN CONFIRM ABOUT THE JOBURG CBD EXPLOSION JRA officiated a press conference today, Wednesday, 2 August to outline the report and rule out a lot of myths about the incident. “Today we received the report from our service provider […]
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) finally delivered the much-anticipated report on the Joburg CBD explosion.
WHAT THE EXPERTS CAN CONFIRM ABOUT THE JOBURG CBD EXPLOSION
JRA officiated a press conference today, Wednesday, 2 August to outline the report and rule out a lot of myths about the incident.
“Today we received the report from our service provider undertaking the investigations into the cause of the gas explosion that occurred in Lilian Ngoyi Street, formerly known as Bree Street,” said Floyd Brink, the City of Joburg Manager.
“Specialists were added into the investigation.”
Brink
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CITY MANAGER ROPES IN EXPERTS TO CRACK THE INVESTIGATION
The City of Johannesburg roped in independent specialists and experienced disaster management staff on fire and gas to get to the bottom of the explosion.
Brink announced at a press briefing on Wednesday, saying that the results of gas tests taken from within the cavity of the road had confirmed the presence of methane at a level between 5% and 15%.
“The type of gas that has fuelled the explosion is methane which is lighter than air,” he said.
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He elaborated that the gas travelled up the service tunnel from an unknown source to the crest of the tunnel where the explosion occurred.
He said that the gas travelled at an alarming speed, somewhere between 350 to 1,700 meters per second.
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WHAT THE CITY OF JOHANNESBURG CONTINUES TO RULE OUT
However, Brink emphasised that the investigation ruled the following possibilities:
- There was no terrorist action of zama zamas or cable theft or foul play by anybody at this particular point.
- It was not an eGoli pipeline rupture nor a large leak before the explosion. The pipeline was only damaged after the explosion.
- No signs of people living in the tunnel could be detected, no negligence from the electricity department and recent cable theft.