A petrol tanker and vehicle collision at the intersection of Swartkoppies and Kliprivier Road, Johannesburg, resulted in the death of five passengers.
Swartkoppies and Kliprivier Roads near Mall of the South, JHB. Tanker overturned and exploded. pic.twitter.com/JqRORNKrkL
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) February 2, 2022
What caused the Swartkoppies petrol tanker explosion?
As reported by News24, law enforcement authorities are piecing together the tragic events that took place at the intersection near Mall of the South at approximately 22:30 on Wednesday.
From what we understand, the petrol tanker, occupied by a driver and one passenger, rammed into a vehicle carrying five occupants.
The high-speed impact, it’s believed, tipped the tanker on its side, resulting in an explosion. Fire and rescue officials from the City of Ekurhuleni rushed to the scene to contain the blaze.
However, at that point, it was a little bit too late since occupants of the vehicle were charred beyond recognition.
Miraculously, the driver of the petrol tanker and the passenger were still alive and emergency officials rushed the critically injured pair to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The survivors had not been questioned by Thursday morning. From what we understand, investigators will look to probe the driver and passenger about the events that led to the accident.
The information received from the pair will be crucial in dissecting the merits of an analysis report expected from accident specialists. What authorities will be looking for, in particular, are signs of culpability from either the petrol tanker or the unfortunate victims who, police believe, were family members.
“The cause of the crash is undetermined and still under investigation by law enforcement officials,” Ekurhuleni metro police confirmed in a statement.
