Huge explosion as east lapa burns to the ground
Local security companies, community and emergency services battled hard to put out the fire after a lapa caught fire.
A huge explosion in a neighbourhood in the east of Pretoria had residents worried in the early hours of Monday.
According to Bull Security, the explosion was caused by a gas bottle that exploded at a home in Pronkrug Street, Garsfontein.
ALSO READ: Huge explosion rattles East suburb
Local security companies, community and emergency services battled hard to put out the fire after a lapa caught fire, said Tshwane emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso.
“We received a call at 01:24. Upon arrival, our firefighters found that the lapa has burnt down.
They completed extinguishing and cooling down hotspots.” No injuries were reported, he said. Bull Security spokesperson French Joorste said their officers helped to out the fire until emergency personnel arrived.
Last month, Silverton residents got a fright when “a huge explosion” was heard around 22:50 on Saturday night when a 3kg gas bottle exploded.
“The explosion happened in Silverton extension 5, more specifically, Voëltjiedorp,” said DA-councillor Ben Chapman of ward 41, “and was reported widely.”
Charles Mabaso, spokesperson for Tshwane Emergency services, said they received a call around 22:58 when it was reported that a gas bottle exploded.
“Emergency resources were activated to the scene. Upon arrival, they found the fire had already been extinguished, and nothing was in danger, and as such no active fire fighting was carried out.”
He said the exact cause of the explosion of the gas bottle was unclear at that stage and a safety officer was assigned to investigate the same.
According to the owner of a Bleshoender Street property, Tertia van Wyk, a tenant on the property made a fire on some wooden structure and tiles, not knowing there were gas bottles underneath.
“There were three gas bottles, but luckily, only one had gas in it, which exploded. It was a 3kg bottle,” Van Wyk said.
“The tenant said he wanted to braai, and did not know exactly what happened.
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