WATCH terrifying moment Joburg CBD street collapses after ‘gas’ explosion

As South Africa comes to grips with the deadly explosion that rocked Lilian Ngoyi Street in Johannesburg yesterday evening, CCTV footage has shown the chilling moment when the terrifying blast happened.

The footage shows minibuses being tossed up into the air, with one man escaping by a whisker as a taxi lands frightful close to him.

The footage also shows pedestrians scrambling for safety, while one shop owner closes his doors during the moments that followed the bewildering explosion.

The shocking incident, which occurred at around 5.30pm, left one person dead and 48 others injured.

Authorities estimated that an area covering five city blocks was damaged and at least six roads were affected. At least 34 vehicles were damaged, with some of them flipped on their sides or lying on top of other vehicles movie.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has called for a swift investigation to determine the cause of the incident.

“The team must give us answers as soon as possible on which systems are affected. If the systems are not affected, we can restore electricity and water services quickly. However, we are stuck because we don’t know the cause,” said Lesufi.

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has said government hospitals in the city were now on high alert, just in case another explosion occurred.

“We pray this doesn’t happen,” she said.