Several injured after mysterious explosion in South Africa

A mysterious explosion hit the center of Johannesburg on Wednesday afternoon at rush hour, tearing the roadway off a traffic axis and injuring around 40 people, authorities said.

Emergency services initially pointed to a possible explosion of underground gas pipes, but the Egoli gas company said in the evening that it was “unlikely” that the explosion which split the street, collapsing the roadway and overturning several vehicles, including collective taxis, “was caused by a gas line or a leak”.

“Our network has not suffered any loss of pressure, which indicates that the pipes are intact. Our customers in the area continue to receive gas without interruption,” the company added in a press release.