Driver, Trucking Company Should Be Sued For Boksburg Explosion Deaths, Lawyer Says

After an audit by an independent road transport safety system auditor, Transheq, found that Infinite Transport had complied with safety regulations before and after the Boksburg gas explosion, a human rights lawyer, Richard Spoor says the company should still be sued for the deaths and injuries caused.

Spoor said clearing of the trucking company of any wrongdoing was unjustifiable.

Last week, Transheq director, Richard Durrant released a report on the outcome of investigations into the incident and found no safety-critical non-compliance.

The investigation also revealed that compliance with legal and best practice requirements by Infinite Fleet Transport was “well followed and entrenched in the company”.

Days earlier, the police released the truck driver from custody after failing to gather enough evidence to charge him. He had been locked up for culpable homicide.

So far, 37 people have died after the gas tanker exploded under a railway bridge in Hospital Road near the Tambo Memorial Hospital, and has so far killed 37 people, and left several with critical injuries.

Spoor said the company needed to be subjected to legal penalties, for the scores of people killed and maimed in the explosion.

“The company can and should be held accountable for this, there is no question about it. Our remedies lie in civil law.

“I’m not suggesting the driver could competently be charged with culpable homicide, but civil liability exists, and the company is civilly liable for the harm that it’s done,” Spoor said.