Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) attend to a collapsed building in Doornfontein, Johannesburg, 2 February 2026. Three people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital when a transformer reportedly exploded at around 5am in a storage room adjacent to the building. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Three people sustained third-degree burns following a suspected gas explosion that led to a small utility room and an adjoining boundary wall collapse in New Doornfontein, Johannesburg.
Emergency Management Services (EMS) responded to the incident about 6.15am on Monday at the intersection of Lower Railway Road and Staib Street. “Emergency Management services responded to a reported transformer explosion in New Doornfontein,” EMS spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said. “Firefighting operations were initiated immediately upon arrival and the fire has since been extinguished,” Khumalo said.
According to EMS, the transformer was located inside a small utility storage room. The explosion caused the collapse of the room, as well as damage to a nearby boundary wall. EMS confirmed that three individuals sustained injuries.
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“Three individuals sustained injuries during the incident and were transported by Gauteng provincial government ambulance to nearby hospitals,” Khumalo said. Authorities confirmed that all residents in the immediate area were accounted for following the explosion.
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