SAPS trainees were evacuated following a gas explosion and fire near a training site in Tshwane. File Picture
National police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola has ordered the evacuation of more than 2,500 police trainees, following a gas pipeline explosion on Wednesday in Tshwane.
According to national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the explosion took place an adjacent business site near the SAPS Tshwane Training Academy.
“The decision to evacuate the trainees, SAPS trainers and members from various specialised units including the Natjoints Coordination Centre(NCC) was taken following advice and consultation from experts.”
She said various experts are on site to contain the fire at the adjacent business site.
Mathe said that the training academy has not been affected and that the evacuation process is a precautionary measure by management.
General Masemola said the safety of its police trainees and members remains a priority.
Meanwhile, the City of Johannesburg has confirmed that the CBD explosion on Bree Street in July 2023 was caused by methane gas.
Joburg City manager Floyd Brink said methane gas was detected which caused a series of events that ultimately caused the explosion that threw vehicles into the air.
The damages were in the region of about R178 million, the City said at the time, adding that the costs could rise.
The city has come under scrutiny for the delays in rehabilitating the key CBD road.
This amount was for the repair the road, to reconstruct the tunnel and fix other damaged infrastructure.
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