Dozens left homeless after explosion rips through Springs informal settlement
It is unclear what caused the explosion, but community members claim it is a result of explosives that illegal miners keep hidden inside the shacks.
Picture: X/SAPoliceService
JOHANNESBURG - A massive explosion has ripped through an informal settlement in Springs, Slovo Park in the City of Ekurhuleni, leaving dozens of people homeless.
It is unclear what caused the explosion, but community members claim it was a result of explosives that illegal miners keep hidden inside the shacks.
The area is a crime hotspot for illegal mining activities.
Ekurhuleni EMS spokesperson William Ntladi said that an initial call was made to the fire department about a shack and a car on fire.
He said that emergency services teams arrived at the scene only to find that a massive explosion had occurred.
He said that so far, no fatal injuries had been reported and the explosion was under investigation.
"There was a heavy explosion, and there are some other materials that need to be investigated by the SAPS bomb squad. There were lots of corrugated roofing sheets that were thrown all over the place. There's lots of damage to the nearby structures, but in terms of casualties, there's no one that we can account for."