Gas pipeline catches fire in central Johannesburg

A gas explosion has caused a fire on a street in the heart of the South African city of Johannesburg.

The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) told the BBC that Egoli Gas workers were doing maintenance on an underground gas pipeline in Braamfontein when it caught fire.

Their truck and part of the building they were working in front of were caught up in the blaze, EMS said.

Two engines responded with 12 firefighters and the fire was extinguished quickly. There were no injuries or fatalities.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but EMS says it will follow up with investigation.

This is the second fire in Johannesburg city centre in less than a week.

Last Thursday, a fire in an apartment building killed at least 76 people, including 12 children.