JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The death toll caused by a gas tanker explosion that occurred in Boksburg, South Africa's Gauteng Province in late December 2022, has reached 40, the province's premier Panyaza Lesufi said Thursday.
"Since the last update we gave on Jan. 4, we have lost three more people; this brings the number of the deceased from this terrible incident to 40," Lesufi said when briefing the media in Johannesburg.
On Dec. 24, 2022, a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas got stuck under a low-lying bridge in Boksburg, and a blast occurred when the vehicle caught fire due to friction.
Five people are still in hospitals while 23 have been discharged, according to Lesufi. ■