A fatality has been confirmed following the large explosion that occurred in the densely populated city centre of Johannesburg.
As emergency services and police continue to search for potential victims, this latest development brings the total number of people affected by the incident to 42.
Spokesperson for Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, Robert Mulaudzi, stated that the male victim's body was recovered from the debris in the early hours of Thursday morning.
"Forty-one people were treated for serious injuries, ranging from moderate to minor, yesterday.
They were transported to various health facilities for further medical care," he explained.
Mulaudzi reported that the body was found during a search and recovery operation conducted by City of Johannesburg firefighters, designed to find and assist people who were in the vicinity at the time of the explosion.
Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the massive explosion, which wreaked significant havoc in Johannesburg's CBD.
Mulaudzi mentioned several possible causes currently under investigation, including a potential leak in the Egoli Gas pipeline or illegal mining activities occurring beneath the city.
Despite these investigations, Egoli Gas, a piped natural gas reticulator servicing more than 8,500 customers across various markets in the Greater Johannesburg area, insisted that the explosion was not the result of a gas leak.
The company tweeted on Wednesday evening that they believe "it is unlikely that the explosion...was caused by a gas pipeline or leak.
Our network has experienced no pressure loss which indicates the gas pipelines are intact.
Our customers in the area continue to receive gas uninterrupted."
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi informed media at the scene that emergency teams were still assessing the area late into Wednesday night, where the smell of gas was still detectable in the air.
IOL