South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority has set free the driver whose tanker exploded and killed scores of people in Boksburg.
The 32-year-old driver, who works for Infinite Transport, was taken into custody on Sunday, but not charged.
According to a report filed by News24, the National Prosecuting Authority said they were told by the police that there was not enough evidence against the suspect.
The report said that the number of deaths had risen to 26 as of Wednesday.
The man was supposed to appear at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, but after waiting the whole morning, an NPA official told reporters that the driver would not be appearing.
According to the NPA, based on their assessment, they decided to release the driver because there was not enough evidence against him.
“Police never presented a docket to the NPA. There is no docket in court and no suspect,” the NPA said.
According to the police’s preliminary investigation, the gas tanker got stuck as the driver attempted to drive under a low-level bridge.
The impact resulted in an explosion, which spread to the nearby Tambo Memorial Hospital and the residential street where onlookers had gathered to watch the initial fire.
Thirty-seven people–24 patients and 13 hospital staff members who were in or near the accident and emergency unit at the time of the blast–sustained severe burns and were sent to neighbouring hospitals.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com