The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service is still
trying to determine what the cause of a gas explosion was in Proton Road,
Belhar on Wednesday 19 September.
Four firefighters are still recovering after they were
injured in the gas cylinder explosion.
The incident occurred around 05:00 on the premises of the
Northlink campus, at a building hired by a private company.
Spokesperson Theo Layne told TygerBurger the fire started
among wood stored next to a steel container: “As in most instances, the contents
of the buildings or structures are not known or reported unless it is during
office hours and the caller is calling from the actual incident.
“Radiated heat then spread to the steel container and
ignited the personal protective equipment, which then spread to where the
liquid petroleum gas was stored,” Layne said.
“The cylinder overheated and exploded.”
Layne said gas cylinders are reasonably safe when not
affected by fire, but in this case the cylinders were stored in an area where
it overheated because of the fire. “The exact cause of the fire must still be
established.”
