A fuel tanker has exploded near a bridge in Boksburg, a small city west of Johannesburg, South Africa, killing at least eight people and injuring scores more. Witnesses described a "big fire involving a gas truck and four cars".
The blast destroyed the roof of the emergency department at the Tambo Memorial Hospital also demolishing two houses and several cars.
"Reports from the scene are that a tanker carrying L.P gas caught fire following a collision which led to it exploding... Ten people suffered fatal injuries. Several others were treated for injuries ranging from minor to moderate," Emer-G-Med, an ambulance service operating in Boksburg, said.
The truck caught fire while stuck under a low bridge. An investigation is underway, said emergency services spokesman William Ntladi.
"Apparently, a gas tanker drove under the subway bridge and got stuck in there, and, due to friction, it caught alight," Ntladi said, as cited by South African media.
Reports indicate that a total of at least 27 people have been injured in the incident. Several houses and a hospital in neighboring areas were also affected by the explosion.