Another person has died from the Boksburg fuel tanker explosion, bring the death toll to 41.
The news was shared by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll in the Christmas Eve blast had risen again.
In a short statement on Wednesday, Lesufi took to Twitter to provide an update on the Christmas Eve explosion.
“Sadly, the death toll in the Boksburg explosion now stands at 41. We extend our sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the deceased. The police, I am briefed, are ready to take the matter back to court,” he wrote on his social media account.
Lesufi added that an investigation into the matter has been completed and the docket has been forwarded to the authorities for a decision.
This latest update comes after Lesufi briefed the media from the Sci-Bono offices last week on some of the latest developments in the investigation of the blast.
Last week, the Gauteng Department of Health held a healing service in memory of the 12 health-care workers from Tambo Memorial Hospital who were among those who died in the explosion or in hospital afterwards.
Addressing the memorial service, Mavis Malekane, nursing manager at Tambo Memorial Hospital, said with the loss of experienced maternal nurses, it will be difficult to improve the indicator of mortality rate.
“Even if we were to employ more nurses today, their experiences will never be replaced. Losing experienced nurses left us with a gap that will be difficult to close,” she said.
Lesufi said his administration will continue to support the families whose lives have changed forever due to the tragedy, and implored healthcare professionals to provide the best care for those who are still on the road to recovery.
Source: Jacaranda FM, Sunday World, IOL, Eyewitness News, image from Twitter: @MDNnewss