Joburg explosion: Digging to be done by hand
Johannesburg City Manager Floyd Brink says no heavy equipment, such as excavators, will be used for digging at the site of the CBD explosion.
This will be done to avoid causing any further damage to the road.
Brink briefed the media on Thursday evening on the latest developments in the Joburg explosion.
The city is able to start its investigation into the case of the blast after structural assessments were conducted.
Brink said the surrounding buildings in the CBD were assessed and declared safe, as there was no damage to the structural integrity.
At least one person was killed, and 48 others were injured after the explosion.
Brink said all digging and trenching will be done by hand.
"The tasks that we are undertaking are dynamic and complex, and at this stage, they will have to be handled with due care.
"No heavy equipment can be deployed to the site immediately because there is a further risk of a possible collapse of that particular road, so whatever it is that we need to do will be done through labour.
"The digging and the trenching will be done, and that will be done by hand until we are quite confident that the site is safe and all hazardous factors are cleared.
"The city will inspect bulk service manholes for gas as some have been welded shut to prevent theft and any grinding that may lead to sparking," added Brink.
ALSO READ
