Explosion of World War Two bomb in South Africa - One illegal migrant male from Cameroon dead, one injured: police is searching for two Cameroon men who had sold 15 military bombs to a local Pretoria West scrapyard: and local residents including the large community from Cameroon living in the area, now fear for their safety:
Witnesses claimed that 'Men from Cameroon" had tried to sell the military items to another scrap yard all week but he rejected them, saying he wanted nothing to do with them. However the 15 bombs were then sold to another scrapyard dealer. An eyewitness, who runs a business a short distance from the scrap yard, says the two black males had been trying to sell the military items over the past week. The South African Police Service has confirmed to the news media that an illegal male migrant from Cameroon has died and another man was injured when they tried to open one of 15 bombs with a hammer and chisel. Pretoria Police are now searching for two other men believed to have sold 15 military explosive devices to a Pretoria West scrap dealer following a deadly blast early on Monday morning. Police bomb-disposal squad experts determined that six of the 15 bombs were still 'live'. Eyewitnesses say they saw two men drop a black bag and then run up the street as soon as they heard an explosion coming from the scrapyard. The bag, which was just a few meters away from the scrapyard, was believed to contain more explosives and the bomb squad has now taken over.
Earlier, worried members of the "Cameroonian migrant community" gathered near the scrapyard, with some imploring the police to enter the scene. They told the police that the deceased man was a Cameroonian national. The police bomb-squad has taken over the area.
An eyewitness, who runs a business a short distance from the scrap yard, says the two men had been trying to sell the military items over the past week.
He says the men also tried to sell the armaments to another scrap dealer on Rebecca Street, but the dealer declined, saying that the items looked suspicious and he wanted nothing to do with them. Police and members of the explosives unit are making sure the area is safe.
Pretoria residents are angry and fearing for their safety. “We were frightened, what about the children in school. If it's nearby what will happen to us?”
The police have searched the area looking for more munitions.
UPDATE:
20 Oktober 2014 Sapa Pretoria-West - The bomb which exploded at a scrapyard was part of an assignment of 15 World War Two bombs - six were still 'live' -- which had been collected and taken to a scrap yard by someone who did not know they were bombs. A man died in the explosion. Picture: Herbert Atkinson
SAPS captain Tsekiso Mofokeng said one man was killed on Monday around 8am and another man was seriously injured when one of the lethal missiles exploded.
It's not known whether the men were workers there and identification remains difficult. They have no idea how the antique explosives ended up at the scrapyard.
The man added the usual ANC-speak 'call to the community to come forward with information'.
In the initial panic after the explosion the streets were barred off around the scrapyard but by early afternoon were reopened. It's impossible to know at this stage
whether the 15 missiles were removed, from the present information available in the media.
Explosion of World War Two bomb in South Africa - One man dead, one injured. 15 missiles were delivered to Rebecca Street Pretoria West scrapyard:
Some of the above information was posted by the Afriforum online publication
http://maroelamedia.co.za/blog/nuus/suid-afrika/pta-ontploffing-was-wo-ii-bom/![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
↧