Families of those who lost their lives in the infamous Boksburg fuel tanker explosion have expressed their disappointment over the manner the accident has been treated.

The families were speaking yesterday at the Boksburg Civic Centre where the Gauteng department of health held a memorial service for the nurses who died.

 

They believe the police, truck driver, trucking company and anyone else who might have prevented the loss of life of the 37 people who died due to the explosion should be held accountable.

Sibusiso Xaba’s sister died on 1 January at Milpark Hospital after suffering serious burns.

“Her burns were deep but her situation was better compared to others,” Xaba said.

He said the only thing which could bring closure to the families of those who had lost their lives was to be told the truth of what happened and for those responsible to be fully held to account.

“We hear through the media the driver followed all protocols, that there was no marking on the bridge, but I don’t believe we know the truth,” he said.

“I just need to see who owns this truck company because sometimes if there’s a politician involved, everything will just disappear and we will never know what happened.

“I want to know if there were any monitoring systems for the company, was the driver on the correct route, how often they consult with the monitoring system and did they observe the height restrictions.”

Xaba said despite the rumours that the driver followed all the protocols to avoid the incident, he still felt the driver could have done more.

Yesterday, RH Lawyers Incorporated announced its intention to institute legal action against various stakeholders possibly liable for the explosion.

Stakeholders which may face legal proceedings include the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality, the South African Police Service and fire department, as well as other persons who may be liable in law for civil damages arising from the explosion.