Johannesburg - Joburg residents, Emergency Services and SAPS remain on high alert after three separate blasts rocked the financial hub of the country this week. Following the explosion in the Joburg CBD on Wednesday night, another blast was reported at a disused mine in Bram Fischerville, Soweto and yesterday morning, another explosion occurred at a factory in Kempton Park.
One man died in the Bram Fischerville explosion on Thursday. Johannesburg EMS said the man may have been involved in illegal mining. Ekurhuleni EMS spokesperson, William Ntladi said the explosion at the cylinder company in Chloorkop, Kempton Park, was unrelated to the JHB CBD and Soweto blasts. One person suffered minor injuries to the left leg in the Chloorkop explosion and was treated by emergency services.
Joburg City Manager, Floyd Brink said water tankers, static tanks and VIP toilets have been strategically deployed in the affected area to support residents during this time.
“Through the ward councillors we have also been made aware of complaints raised by residents regarding the unavailability of power for cooking purposes. To this end we have deployed the services of Disaster Management and Social Development to assist families with warm meals and other necessities until such a time we are assured it is safe to restore power to the area,” he said.
The City announced that all additional closures as per the revised traffic diversion plan have been implemented. Some barriers will be painted to improve visibility.
The Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS) also completed an assessment between Lilian Ngoyi and Loveday Streets. However, it was discovered that the tunnel's structural integrity is deformed and not stable and may collapse at any given time as a result of the movement of cars crossing toward CJ Cronje Building. This area has now also been barricaded for the safety of motorists and pedestrians.
“As explained yesterday, we held concerns with regard to gas that may be trapped in subsoil cavities such as basements within the area. As per our commitment yesterday, we have since inspected a total of nine (9) buildings in the area and our test results at this stage are negative. We have struggled with access to one building and we will finalise the test once we have gained access. All the Egoli Gas valves have been completely closed at this stage and our technical teams assure us that they are in the process of isolating the area from their system,” Brink added.
EMS has deployed the Positive Pressure Ventilation Fans to blow out of the underground system any gas remnants that may have remained and the extraction of the gas into the atmosphere is underway. Again, these are intrinsically safe methods being deployed to ensure the safety of residents.
“By Monday, we anticipate that all manholes will be safe to open, included welded manholes, once the ventilation is concluded and the gas has been successfully extracted into the atmosphere,” Brink concluded.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Wednesday evening’s explosion in the CBD, owners of inner-city buildings and private-sector stakeholders rallied round to ensure the safety of tenants and users of the inner city. It is uncertain when services will be reconnected after being shut off as a safety measure and concerns about looting are front of mind.
GM of the Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association (JPOMA), Angela Rivers, said high-rise buildings of four of its members were directly affected while several others experienced the indirect consequences of the loss of water and electricity in the area. JPOMA represents most of the credible landlords in the inner city, who provide affordable housing to around 250 000 residents.
“One of our members took the precautionary step to move all their tenants out of their Bree Street block that same evening while there was uncertainty about safety after the explosion. He relocated everyone temporarily down the road to one of their commercial buildings, until they were assured that it was safe to return. Tenants’ safety and living conditions are everyone’s main concern at the moment,” she said.
Rivers added that having eyes and ears on the ground has been crucial during the chaos following the massive explosion and for JPOMA that has come in the form of the Forum for Integrated Risk Mitigation (F.I.R.M.), a not-for-profit organisation that coordinates information, best practice and collaboration around issues of safety and security in the inner city. F.I.R.M. service partners Fire Ops SA, a privately owned fire brigade, were among the first responders on the scene and were able to assist with medical care, evacuations, monitoring of gas readings from the damaged pipes and liaising with other emergency assistance. F.I.R.M. members and JPOMA meet daily to share intel about the situation on the ground, discuss concerns and raise queries that can be escalated to key contacts within the city.
Its resources include surveillance drones, which captured the bird’s eye view of the aftermath of Wednesday’s explosion and assessed traffic flow around the incident site. Wayne Dawson chairperson of the F.I.R.M. has stressed the importance of a united front of landowners, tenants and business in the face of crisis.
“The City has stated the water and electricity restoration is top priority, however there is no guarantee as yet of when this will happen. Ablution facilities have been set up at Mary Fitzgerald Square, and teams are investigating how to get water to Bree Street as there is no street access,” said Rivers.
An emergency water line is being set up in case of further explosion and fire, and all the ABSA ATMs in the area have been de-cashed. The city has not decided whether the area will need to be evacuated, although Rivers reports that there has been one city-enforced evacuation of a building adjacent to the blast site.
The traffic detour that was instated is working without too much congestion. FNB has started evacuating workers from its nearby offices and brought in generators for the night shift, with an eye to preventing looting attempts.
“We have called on our members to provide details of any resources they might have that could help the City in its efforts to deal with the crisis. Our members are invested in the inner city and in the swift restoration of normality, and we will do what we can to assist,” Rivers added.
Meanwhile the CEO of the Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investments Company (Rompco), Mlandzeni Boyce said the company is not linked to the gas pipeline in question in this incident. Egoli Gas has issued an official media statement confirming that the explosion on Bree Street was not caused by a leak or damage of its pipeline network.
“In terms of the likelihood of a gas explosion, all gas pipeline networks are constantly monitored for pressure changes that may indicate leaks or bursts. A significant pressure drop would be observed in the event of an explosion like the one that happened in Johannesburg this week. In this instance, the infrastructure would be compromised, which would impact the delivery to customers,” he said.
Boyce added that it is important to note that gas distribution or service lines operate at a very low pressure within residential areas to prioritise safety. Hence, the damage resulting from a pipeline burst or rupture would be minimal. In terms of public concerns about the safety of gas pipelines, gas remains a safe product to use, offering significant benefits to reduce CO2 emissions compared to other fossil fuels like coal and oil. However, high-quality infrastructure and regular maintenance are important to ensure gas safety, with pipeline inspections playing a critical role.