By Daniel Itai
The Johannesburg City has confirmed that the explosion that occurred on July 19th on Lilian Ngoyi Street was caused by methane gas.
As a result of the explosion, several parts of the road were torn apart, causing taxis and cars to be thrown into the air. Tragically, the incident claimed the life of Joseph Dumisane, a 34-year-old, and left 48 others injured.
The City has estimated that it will take approximately 18 months to repair the street, with an estimated cost of US$18 million.
City manager, Floyd Brink, stated, “The delivery of this report marks the conclusion of our immediate response work following the incident and paves the way for our medium-term interventions, including restoration and repair work. Our rough estimate for repairs currently stands at R178 million. However, this estimate may change once we receive detailed designs for the entire project.”
The incident has led to valuable lessons learned, and the City is taking proactive measures to prevent such accidents in the future. They plan to introduce continuous gas detection and alarms, as well as gas detector sensor monitors for all staff working in the tunnels on a regular basis.
The design of the tunnels will be based on relevant international standards, with the tunnel roofs and sidewalls designed to withstand and depressurize in the event of a 9.5 percent methane explosion.
To ensure safety, the City will use suitable materials, such as reinforced concrete sidewalls and roofs specifically designed to withstand over-pressure and release. City manager, Floyd Brink, expressed confidence in their efforts to respond to and recover from the incident.
He urged the public to be patient and allow the City the space needed to successfully recover the site and services.
The Johannesburg City is committed to making necessary improvements and prioritizing safety to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
