Over 2,500 police trainees evacuated after Tshwane gas pipeline explosion

On Wednesday morning, more than 2,500 police trainees, along with officers from specialised units, including the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints), were evacuated from the South African Police Service (SAPS) Training Academy in Tshwane after a gas pipeline explosion at a nearby business site.

The explosion ignited a fire close to one of the academy’s entrances, prompting the evacuation.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said the safety of police trainees and members was a priority and the evacuation was a precautionary measure.

“The decision to evacuate the trainees, SAPS trainers and members from various specialised units including the Natjoints Coordination Centre (NCC) was taken following advice and consultation from experts.

“Various experts are on site to contain the fire at the adjacent business site. It should be noted that the training academy is not affected and that the evacuation process is a precautionary measure by management.”

A venue operational centre, led by the deputy national commissioner of policing, Tebello Mosikili, was established to manage the situation. By Wednesday afternoon, the fire had burnt out.

#sapsHQ Various experts are on site to contain the fire at the adjacent business site. It should be noted that the training academy is not affected and that the evacuation process is a precautionary measure by SAPS management.

A venue operational centre comprising of various… pic.twitter.com/ITTFCUVdTx

— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) August 21, 2024

The spokesperson for Tshwane Emergency Services, Lindsay Zwelithini Mnguni, said they received a call at 11.48am and sent units to investigate.

“We received a call of a fire, it wasn’t reported as an explosion to us. On arrival, the district commander then asserted that it is a pipeline that is leaking and is burning and she called for more units to come and support,” he said.

Sasol, the gas provider, closed the valves in the gas pipe.

“The investigation will start shortly and the site has been isolated just to be safe, but at this stage we don’t yet know the cause,” said Sasol spokesperson Alex Anderson.

Mnguni said, “It’s natural gas so if we extinguish it then we won’t be able to monitor it and it’s going to create more danger to the people around here. We had to leave the fire to burn and Sasol arrived to switch off the valves so that there is no more supply to the pipe.”

Mnguni said no injuries were reported. A 500m evacuation radius was established, and a joint operations command involving police, emergency services and other stakeholders oversaw the situation.

UPDATE: Pretoria West Sasol fire.
The gas in the pipe has now burned off. Fire extinguished itself as expected. The teams will remain on the scene until we are sure that everything is safe pic.twitter.com/ohRQasQqlP

— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) August 21, 2024

This incident follows a similar explosion on Lilian Ngoyi Street (formerly Bree Street) in Johannesburg in July 2023. A gas explosion caused significant damage and disruption in the area, highlighting concerns about gas infrastructure safety and emergency response. DM