»Death toll from the Boksburg gas tank explosion rises to 40«
The dead toll from the Boksburg gas tanker explosion has grown to forty, said Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi on Thursday during a media briefing at the Si-Bono in central Johannesburg.
Lesufi stated, “We continue to stand with the families whose lives have been irrevocably altered by this tragedy.” “We implore our medical staff to provide the best care to those still on the road to recovery.”
As premier of the province, he stated that visiting all impacted families is a challenging effort. “We will not close this chapter until all affected parties are satisfied that we can do so.”
Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the Gauteng health MEC, joined Lesufi at the conference and stated that the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg, whose building infrastructure was damaged by the explosion, will be renovated.
Nkomo-Ralehoko stated that the hospital’s windows had already been repaired. The prenatal ward and the X-ray ward are among the other affected wards that are now undergoing renovations.
The hospital employees who are still traumatized by the explosion continue to receive counseling and assistance, according to her.
The driver of the truck that became entrapped under the bridge and exploded on December 24, 2022, faces allegations of negligence, property damage, and negligent homicide. He has been released from jail until the conclusion of the investigation.
The 32-year-old driver was traveling from Richards Bay to Botswana when he allegedly took the wrong turn onto the N17 motorway, which led him to Railway Street in Boksburg.
On Tuesday, the provincial health department held a memorial service for the 12 Tambo Memorial Hospital healthcare professionals who were killed in the explosion.
Mavis Malekane, the nursing manager at Tambo Memorial Hospital, stated at the memorial service that it will be difficult to reduce the maternal death rate due to the loss of experienced mother nurses.
Even if more nurses were hired today, their experience could never be replicated. “The loss of experienced nurses has created a void that will be difficult to fill,” she said.
»Death toll from the Boksburg gas tank explosion rises to 40«