How many times has the road under the bridge been re-tarred since the old, faded 3.60m signs were put up? If they don't grind off a layer of tar each time, the road surface will get higher and the clearance under the bridge will be reduced.
Thank you so much for not throwing your driver to the wolves. SAP need to investigate properly first before arresting persons. This might have been a genuine error/mistake and bystanders, instead of listening to driver and moving away, decided to stand around and video. Do the media and some public want him crucified. This driver did everything properly but bystanders did not listen when he asked them to move away. He has also experienced a traumatic event and to blindly blame him is very wrong.
What you’ve just said is beyond disgusting. To actually have the nerve to say bystanders were “taking videos” & not listening to the driver. So what of the 9 that died INSIDE the hospital? We’re they taking videos or were they going about their duties? Those that were killed in their own houses were they also randomly defying instructions? Clumsy statements like that show how narrow minded you are. Children died and you’re here spewing nonsense over what your small brain thinks happened.
I like the fact that this company is not throwing the driver to the wolves. It is not easy to control a crowd of onlookers who wanted to take videos. It is very sad really
@@lady_sits Most companies would blame it on the driver to avoid lawsuits, but the fact that they standing with him, I would work for them. It is very hurtful that pple died. But lets not ignore that pple were curious and thats why they died and some got hurt.If u listen to witness statements, some pple who died, were a parent and a kid. What parent wakes up at that time and take their kid to go see a burning truck at very close proximity?. I myself do not even walk under a building construction with scaffodling. It is dangerous
@@vondvtch9821 Not all the people who got badly burned / died were there to take videos. The radius of the fireball was 500m. That means the fireball was a kilometer big. That is huge. Some witnesses at the scene said that they did not know it was gas. And not all people would even know just how bad it can get with gas. They did not deserve to die the way that they did. It was the driver and the controller's responsibility to make sure a safe route was followed. While the driver is certainly not the only one guilty here, I am not super surprised that the company are standing by him (for now, at least). It would not be the first or the last time a company gives a "golden parachute" of sorts to someone to be their fall guy... Standing by him, or appearing to do so, may mean that he returns the favour and keeps quiet about their shoddy monitoring practices. This is also the labour broker and not the trucking company...
If they do, he is their employee so eventually they have to take the responsibility for his error. Unfortunately this guy story will be shown to contain lies, that company will pay
The company, thank you for standing up for your Driver... too many companies will do anything to escape blame... i believe the Driver made an honest wrong turn and if the people weren't so nosey the death/injury toll would have been much less.... go well Driver.. and I wish all the burn victims a very speedy recovery... to those who lost loved one, I do pray for you every night.... people must now stop going for revenge and spreading rumours by making up stories....
@@cindylemmer6799 I agree 100%, such poor reporting. It is not a crime yet, the reporter cannot even intelligently articulate her questions. It is so obvious her narrative is biased. The company is logical, their explanations is responsible and concise. The interviewers trying to introduce the question of his nationality, bringing in fired striker drivers narrative has no beari ng on this tragedy. Public liability insurance is part of the companies responsiblity - the questions about compensation is just dumb. Sub-standard interviewer.
Lol. He has to protect his driver in order to avoid civil liability. If he throws the driver under the bus, it opens his company up to possibly being sued. The damage and the lives lost would be a lawsuit in the millions and millions.
What route did the truck follow? I think the missed turnoff is a lie. Please publish the route; surely you must have logged a GPS track. I have checked various routes by various means and to get on that spot needs several unusual turns for a heavy vehicle en route to Botswana.
But what was the margin? If the bridge clearance was 3.6m and the truck cabin (and who knows for the trailer) is at least 3m (from just looking at similar trucks around) is that an acceptable margin?...I still feel like it was reckless by the driver to go through. He could have called the control room to find out how else he can get out of the wrong turn situation.
Sounds like the driver did all he could in this tragic circumstance, the question to be answered is was the response of the emergency/fire services correct and could more have been done at the time to prevent the explosion
The fire department failed dismally. I don’t understand why people were blaming the driver when the fire department was on the scene when the explosion occurred. If the fire department didn’t have the equipment to deal with the fire then they should have evacuated everyone in the area
Gas was already leaking by the time they got there meaning the scene was already deadly. It had been a while that LP had transformed into gas vapour all around that place. Add to that a massive truck engine running on diesel which was kept running and the weather that was just a perfect hazard to offset those explosions. Direction of the flames shows perfectly that gas had been accumulating around that space. Bear in mind the catalyst to the entire scene ..... The truck's hydraulic system squeezed under the tunnel, concrete pressure sitting on the tank the entire time. The driver made a bad call man. Safety teaches you to avoid overhead structures when you drive industrial vehicles boet. He made a bad call and created a corporate nightmare that cost lives even.
I also can't understand how a truck that gets stuck, explodes for no reason. There must've been another source that started the fire- it's so sad that so many people lose their lives around the world, because they want likes on social media by filming things. I can imagine that if the driver is as experienced as claimed, he did try and get people away from the scene. Baying for his blood and insisting that he needs to be jailed is wrong. Now that he knows a wrong turn has cost 26 lives must surely be an incredibly heavy weight on his shoulders. Please don't get me wrong- I'm extremely heartsore for the people who lost loved ones, it's incredibly, incredibly sad.
I'd say there was enough heat emissions to spark the flames and the weather was just conducive for the hazard. Firstly you have Diesel running through a massive heated engine that had been driving for hours, the heavy-duty breaking system that coughs heat all the time and the hydraulic system that was constantly under immense pressure from the concrete's downward force added to the load in the tank - stored in high pressure to maintain liquid state. Key components had to break and ignite that gas cloud. I mean it takes seconds to smell gas all around the house when you switch your gas stove or heater on 🤷 meaning you're just as close to burning the whole house at any point you operate those.
I even find it unfair for people to blame the emergency services when gas was released into air in a matter of seconds. After the driver's negligence, everything was just a perfect recipe for that catastrophe.
Fire Brigade pouring water on a class 3 chemical fire with out barricading the scene...2ndly driver can not be blamed for people ignoring the numerous warnings to stay away, about an hour from accident to explosion. Any one who was there sadly chose to be there.
At 7 am people are on their way to work, and unless the road was closed to all traffic how would other motorists know that there was a gas leak from a stationery truck?
@@doremi131 The scene was suppose to be quarantined...and Usually when you see a ball of fire it is negligent to take out your phone and record whilst proceeding towards the Flame...Some of us left the scene because self preservation beat the likes we wanted to record.
@@josephmotha5349 you are an idiot.; btw i expect since you made this statement you have proof. so i expect you will had that proof into the police. if not you are just talking about your ass in which case your statement is liable. IE you can be help liable for a false accusation
Let's address the elephant in the room: The emergency services have a responsibility to protect the public. With their training they should have assessed the site upon arrival, know that they have a dangerous incident and cleared the area. This is normal training for all fire fighters around the world. Driver made a mistake and got stuck under the bridge, but emergency services and their training and knowledge should protect the public from a bad accident turning into a deadly disaster
and when people ignore emergency services, i've worked as first responder. people are stupid, they dont listen, they get in the way. the amount of people who just want to hang around and watch is annoying and telling them to leave they ignore you. now as a fire fighter you can tell people to leave you cant do anything about it if they dont. only police can, and that means arresting them. people need to wake up and take responsibility for themselves, you are literally saying you want others to think for you . start waking up and think for yourself stop pushing your stupidity on others
Well, is a slippery slope considering people lost lives...I just wish for a good conclusion to this as we cannot afford to go through anything again... it's too much hurt in SA...
This driver was way 'off his route' by approx 5km ! If he knows the route he would have known he was way off from the N17 area bt also has Google Maps & GPS ! How long does that tanker take to drive that 5km? This was sufficient time for both driver & the controller had enough time to reroute him back onto the N17. Surely he's also aware not to go into residential areas with a highly flammable or hazardous gas ???!!! Did he make contact with the controller ? Any idiot can Clearly Tell That Bridge Was Far Too Low to Risk ! Was a breatherlizer test even done ? ?
It is indeed unfortunate that so many lives were lost especially those in the hospital and houses nearby, that were not trying to be spectators.It is really sad for the affected families.An eye opener for the govt to do proper maintenance of our roads.
B.S. If he missed a turn off he was no longer on a pre-approved route. But more importantly, the people who got burned and died on hospital grounds did not ignore his warnings, even if he *did* warn other people. Just more attempts to shift the blame on the community when the "but for" cause is that there was a deviation from a safe route that was not at the explicit instruction of emergency services. Where were the controllers?
Taking a wrong turn going off the pre_approved route whilst transporting seriously dangerous goods is unprofessional . Check his phone records and see if he was on a phonecall not concentrating on driving in the time span the incident took place. Does the cab have in car video? Another important factor to be considered transporting dangerous goods. Pre-approved route, in whose eyes? Ask that driver what it means , and you will find he has a completely different understanding of the rules. The driver of the exploding tanker feels his documentation was in order so he can do what HE feels is right, but not necessarily correct. If you know you have made a mistake, it also means you are in the wrong, and therefore take 10 times extra care and precaution that you can rectify your mistake successfully.
@@neviozivkovic4545 The labour broker claims he missed the turn off (along the N17) and took the next turn off to rectify his mistake. Firstly, they needed to inform emergency services right then and there and had a risk assessment team scout out the alternative route and/or have the traffic department escort him - which they did not do. But the story in itself does not make sense. Did he take the *Rondebult* turnoff to get on to the N17? How? Was there a reason he did not take the N12/N3 back to the N17? It is a circle. Why go through a residential neighbourhood (with ZERO mitigation)? Why would the labour broker expect anyone just to take their word for it? Instead of considering that the company might have been trying to avoid a road block, or that the driver was taking a personal detour? I mean, it is possible that he may be speaking the truth about missing the turnoff, but it seems highly implausible and needs to be investigated and confirmed.
That is too bizarre to ask for the nationality of the driver. The love of things ( facebook, twitter, instagram and UA-cam) did cost them their lives big time.
I dnt believe the story of the wrong turn..from the N12 or N17 to the place of explosion ..its very very far..there other places he could have made a u turn safely back to the free way
Looking at the photos of the accident scene and not being physically on the scene a minor observation can exonerate the driver from the explosion but find him accountable for failing to adhere to the height restriction of the bridge. Looking at the pictures there is no sign of any white substance anywhere to see if the fire department was using either Carbon Dioxide or any dry compound to extinguish the fire the only truck I see is the water tank. Well-trained firefighters know very well that water is only used to cool the tank but not to extinguish fuel fire and they know that putting water in a fuel fire will only intensify the fire.
It's hard to believe that the driver has had experience as the manager of the company said. If he had the experience this accident wouldn't have happened . How come that the driver could not of forseen that the truck wouldn't be able to pass under the bridge.A total lof of bullshit from the manager. Who will believe him?
@@Witboerseun but there's no shortcut on that road. Instead he had to turn right, go past hospital entrance towards Boksburg East and turn left towards Boksburg North. That is not a shortcut
This Mpho reporter is biased in how she is asking questions and this guy is right gas does not explode on its own. People should have listened to the driver, when told to move away. Sad they died but the videos show people going close trying to take videos
@@niciv.n.8747 gas in a container is always under pressure, it will only explode if the container weakens or pressure rises to such an extent that the container can no longer hold.
@@niciv.n.8747 well no, gas was leaking, leaking gas needs and ignition source, car starting, phone anything that can create a spark... that's what caused the explosion not just gass under pressure
This guy is lying by saying that the driver did the calculations and he found that the height is ok to go, did he stop the truck and started making calculations? if that's true, then why he missed so badly with such calculations? if you look at the pictures you can easily see that any stupid good calculation would tell you it's very risky, unless he was planning to go with few millimeters space for such dangerous material. What a joke also by saying "He couldn't make a u-turn" then why he didn't just stop the damn truck? isn't better than an explosion?. He is even trying to cover it up by talking about flames!
They are only supporting the driver to cover their asses , they know if they let him get tried he will reveal things about the company that will push the blame to them .
No sir. You have to be a bit more specific as to what the circumstances were that caused the driver to leave the designated route. If he is as professional as you say he is then tbere shoukd be an explanation. So that is the first potential negligence. Secondly if you say he took meadures to determine the height of the clearance then tbst tells me he had cause to believe it may be too low. If he neasured the outer area of the opening but not tge centre where the dip appears then whu didnt he measure the middle section. It all sounds a bit shitty to me. He was negligent period and as his employer i hope that ur insurance is up to date.
Shocking and insensitive response to such a tragic incident. Concerned only about themselves and not the lives lost and their loved ones. Worried about the quality investigation that will follow. Victims must prepare to take legal recourse
When last had the state civil engineers sign off on the safety of the bridge? I understand that several trucks had been stuck under this particular bridge.
About that bridge the structure on that bridge was damage long time due to other trucks going there hit it.Never did one engineer come and inspect that bridge. This driver not to be blame for the gas explosion at all.The fire department on the scene did not following there protocol at all. Safety to them and the public was not implemented correctly first. Why was there no evacuation in place Where was all the units fire desater management EMPD metro, Sap. If all this was implemented then there won't have been any explosion or death. They was 30 minutes on scene that they have time to evacuate. They must go investigate the fire department. Why did the fire department not start preventing the gas truck to ignite. If they have lower the truck tire pressure it could have gone out of the bridge
It’s very sad indeed News reporters, also put flames, where there, shouldn’t be!!! What does, the nationality, and the age, of the driver, have to do with it.
The driver was so experienced that he went under the bridge,if you know you've missed your turnoff then you'll approach any bridge with caution isn't that a professional thing to do or is it a case of we'll cross the bridge when we get there?
I had a look at Google street view. The height indicator boards of which there are 2. One from each side are in such poor condition they are essentially useless. One totally faded the other badly faded and rusted. This bridge being lower than the 4.3m legal height of a vehicle needed multiple signs and warning mechanisms.
Companies scrambling to avoid law suits. The driver is an employee of a company and that company is blaming the company that sourced the driver. At the end of the chain is a poor bloke working for a living who accidentally caused the deaths of numerous people.
Yes, if you Not Following GPS / Controller Instructions. Thought he was a " professional" with 5 yrs experience ??? ? What's he doing 5km fm the N17 when he's just come off it ??
Okay he's a professional driver with 7 year's experience how did he drive the truck under that bridge it's not about no signs on the bridge a professional driver will know if he's vehicle can enter the bridge
This is what happens when you listen to an audio while having an opinion already! So you didn't hear the guy talk of an incline under the bridge?? From the CEO, the driver has been absolved of any wrong doing! Even the police couldn't charge him......all the people that died were on-lookers! Nobody died from the actual collision! We have all missed an off-ramp while driving! As from the CEO, he notified the controller who advised him that all was clear to take that off ramp so he could re-join his normal route!
@@EileenMeyer1962 Sorry, I meant to say "most people" Those that died from home is quite unfortunate, but it cannot be blamed on the driver, Police or firemen were suppose to warn people to evacuate their homes. An hour is quite adequate for people to be moved to a safe distance. I remember in Durban we were made to leave our homes after a tank containing some harmful chemicals had over-turned at the M7 Off-ramp from N2.
A qualified driver would have known not to divert from his mapped out route into a residential area and into a very low bridge! He was probably involved in something illegal.
If you listened to this guy, you wouldn't make this comment about the driver. I believe it was a very bad judgment call on his part to take a chance with that low lying bridge.
@@victormkhaliphi2778 , I heard what he said and I'm not buying it! I stand firmly by my comment! No experienced truck/tank driver would be so reckless!
We're not idiots, there's something fishy going on here, if this testimony is true, then the transport company is responsible for this drama and is trying to protect someone. I wonder if this gentleman even knows what he is talking about, in my opinion he should be fired too. If the driver actually checked the height of the tanker against the height allowed under the bridge and realised that the vehicle could pass, then the fault lies with the company who reported false information of the height of the vehicle in their manifest which misled the driver, is the one responsible for this height error, must be responsible therefore the transport company. It's that simple. Not including the height of the rear gauge of the trailer in the total height of the vehicle is nonsense. That the judges and investigators did not realise this too, is proof enough of the incompetence of the people who lead us.
Is this your qualified opinion...if you listened to the drivers who were dismissed that were previously interviewed this company is very much more competent than your opinion...not judging either just encouraging in a free democracy South Africa✌✌✌🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
….apparently the company has been doing this for years and their controllers would berate(d)any driver deviating by even a few meters from their designated route. Since it is alleged the majority of the staff was “new” can this guy here tell the nation who the controller was and their experience…?
hey Leon well done, you just showed how you lack the ability to think. you claim thats the only explanation you can think of... shame. there's others, but hey you are the expert on this so i'll let you try figure them out.
@@JustinPaul1st, my opinion is based on the gentleman's statement (please listen carefully). Unfortunately UA-cam does not give the opportunity to post sketches which I would have gladly sent to you to demonstrate that what he is saying about the height and inclinations of the road and looking at the pictures of the truck stuck under the bridge, does not make sense. If you know anything about trigonometry, take the photos, do the experiment yourself and tell me what you think. Thank you.
@@leonmabaso6963 experiment...thougth you talking from hard facts... have you heard of media propaganda...and armchair critics ...research that my dearly beloved South African...🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦✊✊✊if u are south african
What if someone lit a cigarette while still observing the scene then explosion started? I mean Arno is telling facts by saying gas leak alone cannot cause fire but a trigger can. Eish, this is so complicated y'all.
….Common sense has proven not to be common at all hey…you miss a turn the first thing is to stop and relay it to the controller right…,or at least us regular drivers will stop and start messing with our gps units
@@niciv.n.8747 😭😭😭😭😭😭💞💞💞💞 Ek bid dat uit hierdie tragedie en dood wat baie baie famies getref het harte nuut gebore sal word. Ons weet nie wanneer dit ons laaste oomblik is nie. Ons moet gereed wees elke oomblik om ons Skepper te ontmoet. ✨✨✨❣️❣️❣️
Was he trained in the company's emergency plan? Did he have the plan available? Did he have risk Assessment Training. Was this scenario identified in the Risk Assessment? The driver missed the turn so that means the company must not assess the route for risks?
It is mentioned in the interview that he and the truck was totally compliant he followed protocols until the fire department come on scene and took over the scene as is there authority...he was over come by gas inhalation and was taken away by paramedics as was also mentioned...there after it is not as much of his liability...can we look at the competence and protocol by fire department and all other parties there after and then make a qualified risk assessment ✌✌✌ ... not judging just encouraging ✌✌
The full responsibility of a proper risk assessment and controls rests on the employer. Was this scenario identified by the employer on their risk assessment? Did the employer ensure that all proper controls from Hira are in implemented and maintained. Im not convinced that basic fire fighting and working at heights is enough in this instance and did the employer provide a safe working procedure on how to remove truck when stuck underneath a bridge? Such as deflating wheels to create clearance. Did the employer share their emergency response plan with Fire department as it is also their duty? Has this employer done drills on this before to test their preparedness? There are still gaps from the employer's side which is why the dominos starting from missing the turn kept falling and falling leading to the explosion.
@@vonnep4029 My humblist view is that the driver dis what he could until he was disoriented and over come from gas inhalation...but much more investigation needs to be done before any assumptions can be made....many aspects of accountability must be evident and accountability taken
@@JustinPaul1st yes he did as stated above the questions are about employer not the "employee". If the employer did take all necessary steps then only can it come down to the employee..
Maybe from where the truck got stuck under the bridge it moved forward slightly causing a spark, fire. Could it be the driver did not pull up a brake, thinking it was stuck anyway? So many lives would not have been lost if people did not stand in road to watch. All round l think truckdrivers, first responders & 'spectators' would hopefully learn from this tragedy as to how to clear a scene, react moving forward in such unknown, dangerous situations.
@@JustinPaul1st l understand, just wondering what could have caused a spark, which started the fire. Even the employer says they still need to investigate how that could have happened. Gas by itself would not just ignite. So l was wondering if the truck did not maybe slightly move whilst stuck, causing metal on cement of bridge to cause friction. From the interview it seems truck driver did all he could to avoid bystanders around truck, people just did not listen to him.
I dont buy the story of this MD of ISS, obviously he will defend his driver. Surely there's an approved route then the driver follows that. If he misses a so called turn, what is the company procedure to rectify that, saying it was acceptable to take the wrong turn to rectify at the drivers own will and not notifying his company or controller to me shows this driver is not as competent as made out to be. If the driver missed the turn, he should have pulled off and contacted the company for safest way to re-route. I am sorry prevention is better than cure and no preventative action was taken at all. Most of these drivers are under pressure to meet deadlines and incentives and so thats were the pressure comes in. I dont accept MR Arnoux story. Lives have been lost. No excuses can be accepted when an event like this is easily preventable if simple procedures are followed. Where is the infinite controller and his role and the company procedures for this scenarios. Im sorry the law enforcement against transporters in RSA is poor. There is so many unroadworthy trucks on the road killing people daily, drivers not properly trained and no transport owner has been arrested yet.
Very Very sad the another tragedy to go down the history book s especially when it has already happened hopefully all in of infrastructure comes on board 🙏
Well, the driver did inform everyone to get away as soon as possible yet people are so curious. Sorry to those who lost their lives and condolences to families but if the driver continually warned people and they did not listen, he is not to be blamed or changed for murder.
Billy Mey, given he was not meant to be in a residential area 5km fm the N17 which he had just left, his choice put him in this mess thus knew he best warn people which was too little too late. Instead of calling his bosses to Alert & Inform the necessary Services in time !
So did he run into the wards at the hospital and tell the Dr and nurses to get out the way did he tell the patient s to move out of the wards did he tell the young mothers to move the new Born's and the sick children come on get real ..
I pray this driver isnt hounded or attacked by ppl for this. According to this info it really isnt his fault at all.I pray he will be able to.go on with his life in peace.
Is clear that many people don't know about this guy don't trust him he is a very very very good lair if you don't believe me ask anyone who works for baganing council and ask about the cases they have about iss you won't believe don't be fooled by this guy I know him
Where was the control room guys….and what was the condition of the road and the bridge itself, look I’m not an engineer but this were the first questions that came to mind…A nasty and gruesome accident this…May everyone find healing ❤️🩹 and strength to cope with this. Aluhlanga lungehlanga makwethu.🙏🙏
@@Shawn-ts4jw the driver was supposed to have been able to judge the high of the bridge when approaching the bridge. The management is covering up so that they won't have to account.
@@Shawn-ts4jw Im assuming all these people commenting are competent and qualified in there opinions coming from social media arm chair expierence ✌✌✌🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
It's not the driver's job to disperse people. A lot of people did things wrong here and don't just scrape it under s rock. We need t know and we have to learn not to be near an accident scene
Is this fake news? The driver is so experienced and qualified that he drove into an underpass that is clearly too low for his truck?? It doesn't take a genius to see the truck was not going to fit and going to get stuck. That is what went wrong. It's simple. Driver made stupid judgement. Plain and simple. Why could previous other trucks see the height is too low? These trucks turned back, somehow they were all able to make a U turn. According to eyewitnesses who said the issue was this driver was going too fast and just kept going regardless of the low bridge. There seems to be plenty of lies and excuses here. The company cannot hold their driver responsible as it means they will have to pay out, so obviously they will say he is not at fault. The truck's bottom was stuck to the road so it's possible the fire started from the friction of the bottom of the truck scraping on the road due to insufficient space - that's what stuck means. No space. Cannot fit. It's simple. When you force something that cannot fit it causes friction and spark. All due to the drivers negligence.
Yes exactly 💯 The footage doing the rounds shows the truck under compression from above and below, purely because the truck was too large to fit through the too small bridge opening. Footage also shows the truck got stuck immediately as it entered. The compression from above cracked the gas cylinder causing gas to leak. The bottom axle at the floor of the truck is scraping against the road which being metal, would have caused a spark. This spark in combination with the leaking gas could easily have caused the first truck fire. All it takes to ignite gas is a single spark, sometimes even something as small as static electricity. Then the first fire led to the second fire and finally the major explosion. When gas is involved, especially in a confined space such as this it's important to note that gas has an effect on motor engines to contract the mechanisms which can also cause spark. The surrounding vehicles would also have been immobilised from this effect, and therefore also stuck which adds extra fuel for a massive explosion. Unfortunately none of this would have happened if not for the driver. It's also important to consider that the driver was taken to hospital very early on as he passed out from the gas - so how could he have warned people if he passed out almost immediately and then was not near the scene. It was not the driver that contacted police and ambulance, it was onlookers and other drivers. When police and ambulance arrived the driver was already passed out. This is all in the footage. Something very fishy is going on when there is so much footage and the courts released the driver due to 'lack if evidence'.
I believe this driver . The only problem here is so called selfies and utube videos a few years back we would run from problems like that
Driver took one wrong turn and tragedy struck and so many live lost. If people listened to get away from the scene,lives would have been saved.
They told him to leave them alone 😏now they are dead.
How many times has the road under the bridge been re-tarred since the old, faded 3.60m signs were put up? If they don't grind off a layer of tar each time, the road surface will get higher and the clearance under the bridge will be reduced.
Also being on a slope will affect the height of the vehicle. Back wheels higher than the front wheels means the height of the vehicle aries
Working at heights has absolutely no bearing with driving
I believe him, on the fact that they tried to tell people to get away....people and their camera phones don't listen
that and video evidence
People just want to take video's for instagram
Witness that actually spoke and called the ambulance for this driver totally dispute this
@@ThamiNdlalane name your source
I am very happy to hear that the employer has spoken up in favor of the driver.
True, that's great stuff
That’s an agent/middleman not the employer.
@@KKOPPONGxdxd
@clandestine9053
And if your family member died in this what would say then omg
It's surprising to see an interview such as this in SA where the person being interviewed actually knows their business.
Thank you so much for not throwing your driver to the wolves. SAP need to investigate properly first before arresting persons. This might have been a genuine error/mistake and bystanders, instead of listening to driver and moving away, decided to stand around and video. Do the media and some public want him crucified. This driver did everything properly but bystanders did not listen when he asked them to move away. He has also experienced a traumatic event and to blindly blame him is very wrong.
What you’ve just said is beyond disgusting. To actually have the nerve to say bystanders were “taking videos” & not listening to the driver. So what of the 9 that died INSIDE the hospital? We’re they taking videos or were they going about their duties? Those that were killed in their own houses were they also randomly defying instructions? Clumsy statements like that show how narrow minded you are. Children died and you’re here spewing nonsense over what your small brain thinks happened.
Mpho, how can you refer to this as a crime? A slip of the tongue that you should have corrected immediately and clearly.
thank you, I was searching for this comment
Well done for supporting your driver. 👍🏻
I like the fact that this company is not throwing the driver to the wolves. It is not easy to control a crowd of onlookers who wanted to take videos. It is very sad really
Me too 🙏🏽
@@lady_sits Most companies would blame it on the driver to avoid lawsuits, but the fact that they standing with him, I would work for them. It is very hurtful that pple died. But lets not ignore that pple were curious and thats why they died and some got hurt.If u listen to witness statements, some pple who died, were a parent and a kid. What parent wakes up at that time and take their kid to go see a burning truck at very close proximity?. I myself do not even walk under a building construction with scaffodling. It is dangerous
@@vondvtch9821 Not all the people who got badly burned / died were there to take videos. The radius of the fireball was 500m. That means the fireball was a kilometer big. That is huge.
Some witnesses at the scene said that they did not know it was gas. And not all people would even know just how bad it can get with gas. They did not deserve to die the way that they did. It was the driver and the controller's responsibility to make sure a safe route was followed.
While the driver is certainly not the only one guilty here, I am not super surprised that the company are standing by him (for now, at least). It would not be the first or the last time a company gives a "golden parachute" of sorts to someone to be their fall guy... Standing by him, or appearing to do so, may mean that he returns the favour and keeps quiet about their shoddy monitoring practices. This is also the labour broker and not the trucking company...
If they do, he is their employee so eventually they have to take the responsibility for his error. Unfortunately this guy story will be shown to contain lies, that company will pay
@@vondvtch9821 if they blamed the driver they will be taking responsibility. He is their employee
The company, thank you for standing up for your Driver... too many companies will do anything to escape blame... i believe the Driver made an honest wrong turn and if the people weren't so nosey the death/injury toll would have been much less.... go well Driver.. and I wish all the burn victims a very speedy recovery... to those who lost loved one, I do pray for you every night.... people must now stop going for revenge and spreading rumours by making up stories....
Absolutely i agree
Excellent review. Clearly explained with great detail and reasoning
@@cindylemmer6799 I agree 100%, such poor reporting. It is not a crime yet, the reporter cannot even intelligently articulate her questions.
It is so obvious her narrative is biased. The company is logical, their explanations is responsible and concise.
The interviewers trying to introduce the question of his nationality, bringing in fired striker drivers narrative has no beari ng on this tragedy.
Public liability insurance is part of the companies responsiblity - the questions about compensation is just dumb. Sub-standard interviewer.
Lol. He has to protect his driver in order to avoid civil liability. If he throws the driver under the bus, it opens his company up to possibly being sued. The damage and the lives lost would be a lawsuit in the millions and millions.
@@Carmenpd1 if I know nothing, then you by default should know everything. So tell me Dear Know-It-All, what started the fire?
What route did the truck follow? I think the missed turnoff is a lie. Please publish the route; surely you must have logged a GPS track.
I have checked various routes by various means and to get on that spot needs several unusual turns for a heavy vehicle
en route to Botswana.
Well done to the spokesperson of this company. I think he did a great job with this interview!!
I looked on google maps at the bridge and he is talking facts.
Respect to this man to stand by his employee.
BS ! Any Professional Driver can tell its a Massive Squeeze thus Risk !
But what was the margin? If the bridge clearance was 3.6m and the truck cabin (and who knows for the trailer) is at least 3m (from just looking at similar trucks around) is that an acceptable margin?...I still feel like it was reckless by the driver to go through. He could have called the control room to find out how else he can get out of the wrong turn situation.
Exactly...the rest is pure bullshit... Its just to cover their arses.... Against any civil or criminal cases.
It was an accident, pure and simple. The tragedy is the scene management
Hence culpable homicide!
exactly - again such poor reporting in this matter.
Neglegence is not the same as accident
Sounds like the driver did all he could in this tragic circumstance, the question to be answered is was the response of the emergency/fire services correct and could more have been done at the time to prevent the explosion
Our people need to learn to help when it comes to problem not to just thinking of shooting a video only .
Well said
If he is so Qualified then why did he go off route ?????
Especially if he saw the bride before the impact??????
Have you never missed an offramp?? As qualified a driver as you are🤌
The fire department failed dismally. I don’t understand why people were blaming the driver when the fire department was on the scene when the explosion occurred. If the fire department didn’t have the equipment to deal with the fire then they should have evacuated everyone in the area
Fully agree!
Agree
Absolutely.
Good point
Gas was already leaking by the time they got there meaning the scene was already deadly. It had been a while that LP had transformed into gas vapour all around that place. Add to that a massive truck engine running on diesel which was kept running and the weather that was just a perfect hazard to offset those explosions. Direction of the flames shows perfectly that gas had been accumulating around that space. Bear in mind the catalyst to the entire scene ..... The truck's hydraulic system squeezed under the tunnel, concrete pressure sitting on the tank the entire time.
The driver made a bad call man. Safety teaches you to avoid overhead structures when you drive industrial vehicles boet. He made a bad call and created a corporate nightmare that cost lives even.
I also can't understand how a truck that gets stuck, explodes for no reason. There must've been another source that started the fire- it's so sad that so many people lose their lives around the world, because they want likes on social media by filming things. I can imagine that if the driver is as experienced as claimed, he did try and get people away from the scene. Baying for his blood and insisting that he needs to be jailed is wrong. Now that he knows a wrong turn has cost 26 lives must surely be an incredibly heavy weight on his shoulders. Please don't get me wrong- I'm extremely heartsore for the people who lost loved ones, it's incredibly, incredibly sad.
Called BLEVE Tanya
Well listen to the video! He talks about an incline and decline and how the truck got stuck.
According to an eyewitness account the driver did not warn anybody and was struggling to stay conscious
I'd say there was enough heat emissions to spark the flames and the weather was just conducive for the hazard. Firstly you have Diesel running through a massive heated engine that had been driving for hours, the heavy-duty breaking system that coughs heat all the time and the hydraulic system that was constantly under immense pressure from the concrete's downward force added to the load in the tank - stored in high pressure to maintain liquid state. Key components had to break and ignite that gas cloud. I mean it takes seconds to smell gas all around the house when you switch your gas stove or heater on 🤷 meaning you're just as close to burning the whole house at any point you operate those.
I even find it unfair for people to blame the emergency services when gas was released into air in a matter of seconds.
After the driver's negligence, everything was just a perfect recipe for that catastrophe.
Get your facts right journalist , there was no court hearing today
Long time ago such trucks passing in town you will see a blue light car infront and the other car following at the back.
Fire Brigade pouring water on a class 3 chemical fire with out barricading the scene...2ndly driver can not be blamed for people ignoring the numerous warnings to stay away, about an hour from accident to explosion. Any one who was there sadly chose to be there.
At 7 am people are on their way to work, and unless the road was closed to all traffic how would other motorists know that there was a gas leak from a stationery truck?
Fire Brigades are to blame for the incident. They are incompetent and should bear the cost not the driver
@@doremi131 The scene was suppose to be quarantined...and Usually when you see a ball of fire it is negligent to take out your phone and record whilst proceeding towards the Flame...Some of us left the scene because self preservation beat the likes we wanted to record.
@@josephmotha5349 you are an idiot.; btw i expect since you made this statement you have proof. so i expect you will had that proof into the police. if not you are just talking about your ass in which case your statement is liable. IE you can be help liable for a false accusation
Let's address the elephant in the room:
The emergency services have a responsibility to protect the public. With their training they should have assessed the site upon arrival, know that they have a dangerous incident and cleared the area. This is normal training for all fire fighters around the world. Driver made a mistake and got stuck under the bridge, but emergency services and their training and knowledge should protect the public from a bad accident turning into a deadly disaster
and when people ignore emergency services, i've worked as first responder. people are stupid, they dont listen, they get in the way. the amount of people who just want to hang around and watch is annoying and telling them to leave they ignore you. now as a fire fighter you can tell people to leave you cant do anything about it if they dont. only police can, and that means arresting them. people need to wake up and take responsibility for themselves, you are literally saying you want others to think for you . start waking up and think for yourself stop pushing your stupidity on others
This is South Africa and who would expect training I. This lowest part of the world
@@cathymcdowell5294 stupid comment.
Was this road re-surfaced in the past by adding layers of bitumen which would have reduced the clearance under the bridge?
Hindsight is a perfect science.
Well, is a slippery slope considering people lost lives...I just wish for a good conclusion to this as we cannot afford to go through anything again... it's too much hurt in SA...
So the fire department was untrained as fire fighters as well and the fire department should be investigated as well !!!!!!
You hit the nail on the head. Maybe, poorly trained without ongoing training programs. So 😔
This driver was way 'off his route' by approx 5km ! If he knows the route he would have known he was way off from the N17 area bt also has Google Maps & GPS ! How long does that tanker take to drive that 5km? This was sufficient time for both driver & the controller had enough time to reroute him back onto the N17. Surely he's also aware not to go into residential areas with a highly flammable or hazardous gas ???!!! Did he make contact with the controller ? Any idiot can Clearly Tell That Bridge Was Far Too Low to Risk ! Was a breatherlizer test even done ? ?
It is indeed unfortunate that so many lives were lost especially those in the hospital and houses nearby, that were not trying to be spectators.It is really sad for the affected families.An eye opener for the govt to do proper maintenance of our roads.
I would like to see a diagram of the original route as apposed to the 'missed turn off' route and the height of any other bridge on the original route
5km's is not a wrong turnoff. Don't they have gps' in these vehicles?
B.S. If he missed a turn off he was no longer on a pre-approved route.
But more importantly, the people who got burned and died on hospital grounds did not ignore his warnings, even if he *did* warn other people. Just more attempts to shift the blame on the community when the "but for" cause is that there was a deviation from a safe route that was not at the explicit instruction of emergency services. Where were the controllers?
Taking a wrong turn going off the pre_approved route whilst transporting seriously dangerous goods is unprofessional . Check his phone records and see if he was on a phonecall not concentrating on driving in the time span the incident took place. Does the cab have in car video? Another important factor to be considered transporting dangerous goods. Pre-approved route, in whose eyes? Ask that driver what it means , and you will find he has a completely different understanding of the rules. The driver of the exploding tanker feels his documentation was in order so he can do what HE feels is right, but not necessarily correct. If you know you have made a mistake, it also means you are in the wrong, and therefore take 10 times extra care and precaution that you can rectify your mistake successfully.
@@neviozivkovic4545 B.S.
@@neviozivkovic4545 Well said
Well said
@@neviozivkovic4545 The labour broker claims he missed the turn off (along the N17) and took the next turn off to rectify his mistake. Firstly, they needed to inform emergency services right then and there and had a risk assessment team scout out the alternative route and/or have the traffic department escort him - which they did not do.
But the story in itself does not make sense. Did he take the *Rondebult* turnoff to get on to the N17? How? Was there a reason he did not take the N12/N3 back to the N17? It is a circle. Why go through a residential neighbourhood (with ZERO mitigation)? Why would the labour broker expect anyone just to take their word for it? Instead of considering that the company might have been trying to avoid a road block, or that the driver was taking a personal detour? I mean, it is possible that he may be speaking the truth about missing the turnoff, but it seems highly implausible and needs to be investigated and confirmed.
That is too bizarre to ask for the nationality of the driver. The love of things ( facebook, twitter, instagram and UA-cam) did cost them their lives big time.
Fire caused by heat from contact with bridge, explosion caused by BLEVE...the vapour igniting.
I dnt believe the story of the wrong turn..from the N12 or N17 to the place of explosion ..its very very far..there other places he could have made a u turn safely back to the free way
Looking at the photos of the accident scene and not being physically on the scene a minor observation can exonerate the driver from the explosion but find him accountable for failing to adhere to the height restriction of the bridge. Looking at the pictures there is no sign of any white substance anywhere to see if the fire department was using either Carbon Dioxide or any dry compound to extinguish the fire the only truck I see is the water tank. Well-trained firefighters know very well that water is only used to cool the tank but not to extinguish fuel fire and they know that putting water in a fuel fire will only intensify the fire.
There was no road sign that stipulated the height restriction. That has been stated when the truck driver was released.
@@mthokozisilanga4497 then someone stole the sign as many witnesses have stated it was clearly there...jo !
Professional?...7years experience?... did not seem that way on that day🤘🇿🇦💜
If he was professional the truck wouldn't got stuck...if he was professional no one would've died...🤘🇿🇦💜
It's hard to believe that the driver has had experience as the manager of the company said. If he had the experience this accident wouldn't have happened . How come that the driver could not of forseen that the truck wouldn't be able to pass under the bridge.A total lof of bullshit from the manager. Who will believe him?
Or the driver was gatfol and tired,And he went of the main roads to take a short cut. Because its public holiday and he wants to get home
@@Witboerseun but there's no shortcut on that road. Instead he had to turn right, go past hospital entrance towards Boksburg East and turn left towards Boksburg North. That is not a shortcut
Not of that route. And one their former/disgruntled drivers asked a simple, where was their controller?
Thats not his route ..he his responsiabe for all went wrong...
This Mpho reporter is biased in how she is asking questions and this guy is right gas does not explode on its own. People should have listened to the driver, when told to move away. Sad they died but the videos show people going close trying to take videos
Gas under pressure...will explode by itself
@@niciv.n.8747 gas in a container is always under pressure, it will only explode if the container weakens or pressure rises to such an extent that the container can no longer hold.
@@niciv.n.8747 well no, gas was leaking, leaking gas needs and ignition source, car starting, phone anything that can create a spark... that's what caused the explosion not just gass under pressure
BS this company / driver are to blame.
Yes!
This guy is lying by saying that the driver did the calculations and he found that the height is ok to go, did he stop the truck and started making calculations? if that's true, then why he missed so badly with such calculations? if you look at the pictures you can easily see that any stupid good calculation would tell you it's very risky, unless he was planning to go with few millimeters space for such dangerous material. What a joke also by saying "He couldn't make a u-turn" then why he didn't just stop the damn truck? isn't better than an explosion?. He is even trying to cover it up by talking about flames!
This guy is trying too hard to defend his company!.. Nonsense!
Dit the company drive the truck ore the driver 🤔
@@NoBody-nc1er Company had to close down,if they do not support their driver.
They are only supporting the driver to cover their asses , they know if they let him get tried he will reveal things about the company that will push the blame to them .
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). Have you heard of this Sir?
No sir. You have to be a bit more specific as to what the circumstances were that caused the driver to leave the designated route. If he is as professional as you say he is then tbere shoukd be an explanation. So that is the first potential negligence. Secondly if you say he took meadures to determine the height of the clearance then tbst tells me he had cause to believe it may be too low. If he neasured the outer area of the opening but not tge centre where the dip appears then whu didnt he measure the middle section. It all sounds a bit shitty to me. He was negligent period and as his employer i hope that ur insurance is up to date.
Who knew one wrong turn could cause such tragedy 😔😲😒
The people who wrote "Wrong Turn"
There was no wrong turn here. It is his story. If you know the area you will understand why he is lying
👀👀👀 Hai Bana was thinking the same thing
Hmmm ok
@@ThamiNdlalane I see
Shocking and insensitive response to such a tragic incident. Concerned only about themselves and not the lives lost and their loved ones. Worried about the quality investigation that will follow. Victims must prepare to take legal recourse
When last had the state civil engineers sign off on the safety of the bridge? I understand that several trucks had been stuck under this particular bridge.
About that bridge the structure on that bridge was damage long time due to other trucks going there hit it.Never did one engineer come and inspect that bridge.
This driver not to be blame for the gas explosion at all.The fire department on the scene did not following there protocol at all.
Safety to them and the public was not implemented correctly first.
Why was there no evacuation in place
Where was all the units fire desater management EMPD metro, Sap.
If all this was implemented then there won't have been any explosion or death.
They was 30 minutes on scene that they have time to evacuate.
They must go investigate the fire department.
Why did the fire department not start preventing the gas truck to ignite.
If they have lower the truck tire pressure it could have gone out of the bridge
It’s very sad indeed
News reporters, also put flames, where there, shouldn’t be!!!
What does, the nationality, and the age, of the driver, have to do with it.
He was suppose to stop before the bridge and analises the bridge before go through
The driver was so experienced that he went under the bridge,if you know you've missed your turnoff then you'll approach any bridge with caution isn't that a professional thing to do or is it a case of we'll cross the bridge when we get there?
I had a look at Google street view.
The height indicator boards of which there are 2.
One from each side are in such poor condition they are essentially useless. One totally faded the other badly faded and rusted.
This bridge being lower than the 4.3m legal height of a vehicle needed multiple signs and warning mechanisms.
....I thought it could be the reason.Actually the municipality is then the problem.....as all other things rules by our bad government.
Hierdie man het klaar erg nagmerries dit sal hom sy hele lewe bybly. Dit is al klaar hengse straf erger as tronk
So, why is he not rearrested and charged with culpable homoside.
Have said b4 the driver isnt guilty
Companies scrambling to avoid law suits. The driver is an employee of a company and that company is blaming the company that sourced the driver. At the end of the chain is a poor bloke working for a living who accidentally caused the deaths of numerous people.
ISS is a Labour Broker, sadly Infinite Group CEO will probably be held accountable
Yes.
Either this man or the driver is lying.
It is very easy to miss the turnoff it is very confusing Alberton, Germiston and Johannesburg.
Yes, if you Not Following GPS / Controller Instructions. Thought he was a " professional" with 5 yrs experience ??? ? What's he doing 5km fm the N17 when he's just come off it ??
Okay he's a professional driver with 7 year's experience how did he drive the truck under that bridge it's not about no signs on the bridge a professional driver will know if he's vehicle can enter the bridge
Did you watch the video? Well watch it again and listen properly
This is what happens when you listen to an audio while having an opinion already! So you didn't hear the guy talk of an incline under the bridge?? From the CEO, the driver has been absolved of any wrong doing! Even the police couldn't charge him......all the people that died were on-lookers! Nobody died from the actual collision!
We have all missed an off-ramp while driving! As from the CEO, he notified the controller who advised him that all was clear to take that off ramp so he could re-join his normal route!
@@mosestsarai8565,not all the people who were killed were onlookers,some died in their homes 🤔
@@EileenMeyer1962 Sorry, I meant to say "most people" Those that died from home is quite unfortunate, but it cannot be blamed on the driver, Police or firemen were suppose to warn people to evacuate their homes. An hour is quite adequate for people to be moved to a safe distance. I remember in Durban we were made to leave our homes after a tank containing some harmful chemicals had over-turned at the M7 Off-ramp from N2.
A qualified driver would have known not to divert from his mapped out route into a residential area and into a very low bridge! He was probably involved in something illegal.
If you listened to this guy, you wouldn't make this comment about the driver.
I believe it was a very bad judgment call on his part to take a chance with that low lying bridge.
@@victormkhaliphi2778 , I heard what he said and I'm not buying it! I stand firmly by my comment! No experienced truck/tank driver would be so reckless!
We're not idiots, there's something fishy going on here, if this testimony is true, then the transport company is responsible for this drama and is trying to protect someone. I wonder if this gentleman even knows what he is talking about, in my opinion he should be fired too. If the driver actually checked the height of the tanker against the height allowed under the bridge and realised that the vehicle could pass, then the fault lies with the company who reported false information of the height of the vehicle in their manifest which misled the driver, is the one responsible for this height error, must be responsible therefore the transport company. It's that simple. Not including the height of the rear gauge of the trailer in the total height of the vehicle is nonsense. That the judges and investigators did not realise this too, is proof enough of the incompetence of the people who lead us.
Is this your qualified opinion...if you listened to the drivers who were dismissed that were previously interviewed this company is very much more competent than your opinion...not judging either just encouraging in a free democracy South Africa✌✌✌🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
….apparently the company has been doing this for years and their controllers would berate(d)any driver deviating by even a few meters from their designated route. Since it is alleged the majority of the staff was “new” can this guy here tell the nation who the controller was and their experience…?
hey Leon well done, you just showed how you lack the ability to think. you claim thats the only explanation you can think of... shame. there's others, but hey you are the expert on this so i'll let you try figure them out.
@@JustinPaul1st, my opinion is based on the gentleman's statement (please listen carefully). Unfortunately UA-cam does not give the opportunity to post sketches which I would have gladly sent to you to demonstrate that what he is saying about the height and inclinations of the road and looking at the pictures of the truck stuck under the bridge, does not make sense. If you know anything about trigonometry, take the photos, do the experiment yourself and tell me what you think. Thank you.
@@leonmabaso6963 experiment...thougth you talking from hard facts... have you heard of media propaganda...and armchair critics ...research that my dearly beloved South African...🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦✊✊✊if u are south african
What if someone lit a cigarette while still observing the scene then explosion started? I mean Arno is telling facts by saying gas leak alone cannot cause fire but a trigger can.
Eish, this is so complicated y'all.
Well said absolutely
I can't understand why the police dept took so long to get to the scene, I personally believe the driver is not at fault here , it was an accident.
Unfortunately, there's so sense of urgency in RSA state institutions :-(
Correct a lot of people went to the scene .
….Common sense has proven not to be common at all hey…you miss a turn the first thing is to stop and relay it to the controller right…,or at least us regular drivers will stop and start messing with our gps units
Gps told him to take that road & go under that bridge. He followed.
People do not listen. They want to see.
4 young kids also died from one woman...with no cell phones.Also the cars passed there...went up in fire..
@@niciv.n.8747 😭😭😭😭😭😭💞💞💞💞 Ek bid dat uit hierdie tragedie en dood wat baie baie famies getref het harte nuut gebore sal word. Ons weet nie wanneer dit ons laaste oomblik is nie. Ons moet gereed wees elke oomblik om ons Skepper te ontmoet. ✨✨✨❣️❣️❣️
Was he trained in the company's emergency plan? Did he have the plan available? Did he have risk Assessment Training. Was this scenario identified in the Risk Assessment? The driver missed the turn so that means the company must not assess the route for risks?
It is mentioned in the interview that he and the truck was totally compliant he followed protocols until the fire department come on scene and took over the scene as is there authority...he was over come by gas inhalation and was taken away by paramedics as was also mentioned...there after it is not as much of his liability...can we look at the competence and protocol by fire department and all other parties there after and then make a qualified risk assessment ✌✌✌ ... not judging just encouraging ✌✌
The full responsibility of a proper risk assessment and controls rests on the employer. Was this scenario identified by the employer on their risk assessment? Did the employer ensure that all proper controls from Hira are in implemented and maintained. Im not convinced that basic fire fighting and working at heights is enough in this instance and did the employer provide a safe working procedure on how to remove truck when stuck underneath a bridge? Such as deflating wheels to create clearance. Did the employer share their emergency response plan with Fire department as it is also their duty? Has this employer done drills on this before to test their preparedness? There are still gaps from the employer's side which is why the dominos starting from missing the turn kept falling and falling leading to the explosion.
@@vonnep4029 My humblist view is that the driver dis what he could until he was disoriented and over come from gas inhalation...but much more investigation needs to be done before any assumptions can be made....many aspects of accountability must be evident and accountability taken
@@JustinPaul1st yes he did as stated above the questions are about employer not the "employee". If the employer did take all necessary steps then only can it come down to the employee..
Maybe from where the truck got stuck under the bridge it moved forward slightly causing a spark, fire. Could it be the driver did not pull up a brake, thinking it was stuck anyway?
So many lives would not have been lost if people did not stand in road to watch.
All round l think truckdrivers, first responders & 'spectators' would hopefully learn from this tragedy as to how to clear a scene, react moving forward in such unknown, dangerous situations.
He did follow protocol as required its state's in the interview and the eye witnesses first on scene....
@@JustinPaul1st l understand, just wondering what could have caused a spark, which started the fire. Even the employer says they still need to investigate how that could have happened. Gas by itself would not just ignite. So l was wondering if the truck did not maybe slightly move whilst stuck, causing metal on cement of bridge to cause friction.
From the interview it seems truck driver did all he could to avoid bystanders around truck, people just did not listen to him.
This reporter is biased, comes across as unprofessional
How will this Company help the people of deceased.
They won't. They never do.
Nonsense another driver that was dismissed said the company tracks the trucks all the time so the company communications was zero
WTF he almost blew the whole hospital
It seems we will witness the longest and most expensive corporate blame battle before victims are even factored in.
He did not answer the last question how long were he employed in the company
Yes he didn't, he evaded that question by talking about the dismissed drivers. I wonder is this driver really SAcan
10:43
How are you listening my friend 👀👀👀 he was with the company more than 5 years.
Sister Nkepule please do a Special Assignment on this explosion. I know you will unearth a ton of information
I dont buy the story of this MD of ISS, obviously he will defend his driver. Surely there's an approved route then the driver follows that. If he misses a so called turn, what is the company procedure to rectify that, saying it was acceptable to take the wrong turn to rectify at the drivers own will and not notifying his company or controller to me shows this driver is not as competent as made out to be. If the driver missed the turn, he should have pulled off and contacted the company for safest way to re-route. I am sorry prevention is better than cure and no preventative action was taken at all. Most of these drivers are under pressure to meet deadlines and incentives and so thats were the pressure comes in. I dont accept MR Arnoux story. Lives have been lost. No excuses can be accepted when an event like this is easily preventable if simple procedures are followed. Where is the infinite controller and his role and the company procedures for this scenarios. Im sorry the law enforcement against transporters in RSA is poor. There is so many unroadworthy trucks on the road killing people daily, drivers not properly trained and no transport owner has been arrested yet.
Very Very sad the another tragedy to go down the history book s especially when it has already happened hopefully all in of infrastructure comes on board 🙏
Please bring expert advice not fong advice
Well, the driver did inform everyone to get away as soon as possible yet people are so curious. Sorry to those who lost their lives and condolences to families but if the driver continually warned people and they did not listen, he is not to be blamed or changed for murder.
Billy Mey, given he was not meant to be in a residential area 5km fm the N17 which he had just left, his choice put him in this mess thus knew he best warn people which was too little too late. Instead of calling his bosses to Alert & Inform the necessary Services in time !
So did he run into the wards at the hospital and tell the Dr and nurses to get out the way did he tell the patient s to move out of the wards did he tell the young mothers to move the new Born's and the sick children come on get real ..
I pray this driver isnt hounded or attacked by ppl for this. According to this info it really isnt his fault at all.I pray he will be able to.go on with his life in peace.
Why was there no communication from the company who tracks their trucks that the driver is on the wrong route and they know all the bridge heights????
There was....
A secondary event could have been someone smoking?
Is clear that many people don't know about this guy don't trust him he is a very very very good lair if you don't believe me ask anyone who works for baganing council and ask about the cases they have about iss you won't believe don't be fooled by this guy I know him
So true .they fired experienced drivers in Sept and hired that" experienced driver"
The compony must have a employment record for the law courts
Money in two years is not going to help these people... They need to pay for funerals and medical bills now. More escaping responsibility...
Where was the control room guys….and what was the condition of the road and the bridge itself, look I’m not an engineer but this were the first questions that came to mind…A nasty and gruesome accident this…May everyone find healing ❤️🩹 and strength to cope with this. Aluhlanga lungehlanga makwethu.🙏🙏
Working at heights, to enable him to operate the equipment at the top of the tanker, nothing to do with the height of the bridge.
AMEN!! At last someone here understands
He's trying hard to cover up the messes.
So honestly he isn't even feeling empathy for the family's mourning
Cover up what? That the driver took a wrong turn?
@@Shawn-ts4jw the driver was supposed to have been able to judge the high of the bridge when approaching the bridge. The management is covering up so that they won't have to account.
@@Shawn-ts4jw Im assuming all these people commenting are competent and qualified in there opinions coming from social media arm chair expierence ✌✌✌🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
He's trying not to go BANKRUPT...and save other jobs. Let them investigate and hopefully it was a pure accident
Why were the experienced drivers fired?
Curiosity killed the cats
Can cellphones not ignite gas?
It's not the driver's job to disperse people. A lot of people did things wrong here and don't just scrape it under s rock. We need t know and we have to learn not to be near an accident scene
Does he have a valid HAZCHEM certificate?
Yea but this happens in many truck,car accidents in SA there's always the vultures waiting to rob and steal( condolences to all who lost loved ones).
How can professional and experienced driver not check what's on top of him
How is this journalist allowed to call this a crime?
Who planned the route he was using?
Does it matter, as they already mentioned he missed a turn?
This guy who is speaking.
Is this fake news? The driver is so experienced and qualified that he drove into an underpass that is clearly too low for his truck?? It doesn't take a genius to see the truck was not going to fit and going to get stuck. That is what went wrong. It's simple. Driver made stupid judgement. Plain and simple. Why could previous other trucks see the height is too low? These trucks turned back, somehow they were all able to make a U turn. According to eyewitnesses who said the issue was this driver was going too fast and just kept going regardless of the low bridge. There seems to be plenty of lies and excuses here. The company cannot hold their driver responsible as it means they will have to pay out, so obviously they will say he is not at fault. The truck's bottom was stuck to the road so it's possible the fire started from the friction of the bottom of the truck scraping on the road due to insufficient space - that's what stuck means. No space. Cannot fit. It's simple. When you force something that cannot fit it causes friction and spark. All due to the drivers negligence.
I feel in my gut,this is the truth,what you are telling here.
Very well said indeed!
Yes exactly 💯 The footage doing the rounds shows the truck under compression from above and below, purely because the truck was too large to fit through the too small bridge opening. Footage also shows the truck got stuck immediately as it entered. The compression from above cracked the gas cylinder causing gas to leak. The bottom axle at the floor of the truck is scraping against the road which being metal, would have caused a spark. This spark in combination with the leaking gas could easily have caused the first truck fire. All it takes to ignite gas is a single spark, sometimes even something as small as static electricity. Then the first fire led to the second fire and finally the major explosion. When gas is involved, especially in a confined space such as this it's important to note that gas has an effect on motor engines to contract the mechanisms which can also cause spark. The surrounding vehicles would also have been immobilised from this effect, and therefore also stuck which adds extra fuel for a massive explosion. Unfortunately none of this would have happened if not for the driver. It's also important to consider that the driver was taken to hospital very early on as he passed out from the gas - so how could he have warned people if he passed out almost immediately and then was not near the scene. It was not the driver that contacted police and ambulance, it was onlookers and other drivers. When police and ambulance arrived the driver was already passed out. This is all in the footage. Something very fishy is going on when there is so much footage and the courts released the driver due to 'lack if evidence'.