Families of Boksburg blast victims accuse municipality of negligence

In a newly filed lawsuit, victims of the 2022 Boksburg explosion tragedy are accusing the Ekurhuleni Municipality of negligence.

The metro is one of three entities cited in the R65 million lawsuit brought by survivors and families of the victims.

On 24 December 2022, a truck carrying about 6,000 litres of highly flammable gas got stuck under a low-lying bridge and exploded, killing 41 people and injuring many others.

The claim against the Ekurhuleni Municipality is two-fold.

LHL Attorneys’ Gabrielle Berkowitz said the first issue was poor road signage.

“Which we are of the view, was inadequate where it existed. There are supposed to be certain signs leading to the low-lying bridge to alert a driver of the fact that a low-lying bridge is coming,” Berkowitz said.

The lawsuit also alleges the municipality’s fire departmentdid not properly evacuate the area.

It argues that for trucks carrying 6,000 litres of liquefied petroleum gas, the evacuation radius should be between 1,149 and 1,435 metres from the source.

The municipality said it had noted the lawsuit and reserves the right to defend itself.