Methan gas source of the explosion at Bree Street
Chemical engineering expert Dr Rodney Khangale says methane gas is the cause of the explosion that ruptured the Lilian Ngooyi Street formerly known as Bree Street last month.
“Methane is basically a fuel, it is combustible, it can even cause a fire. But in the incident which happened in Johannesburg – it was so interesting to see that there was no fire. But of course that can also be influenced by the concentration of that gas. If the concentration is too low, it might not lead to fire,” explains Khangale.
According to Khangela, methane gas was being transported through a pipe that could not withstand the pressure that was used.
“But then again, the other thing which plays a very critical role, is the pressure at which that gas is being transported at. For one to see an incident similar to what happened in the Bree Street, you would assume that the gas was transported at probably a higher pressure.” it is possible that
Meanwhile, on Wednesday during a media briefing, City Manager, Floyd Brink told the media that officials still don’t know what the source of the gas was.
