The City of Joburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) is currently decanting the remaining gas from the damaged tanker into a secondary one.
This process is expected to take between two to four hours.
Thereafter, mop-up operations will begin, and last for several hours.
This follows an accident involving a gas tanker fire on the N12 Westbound, on Sunday morning early, before Comaro Road in Bassonia.
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), said a gas tanker was stationary on the N12 Westbound when a light motor vehicle collided with the rear of the tanker.
The impact triggered a fire.
The driver of the light motor vehicle sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased on the scene.
The freeway remains strictly closed to all traffic in both directions to ensure public safety during the transfer of hazardous materials.
The N12 remains a high-risk zone.
Motorists are urged to avoid the area entirely and rather use the N12 Westbound (Toward Soweto): Traffic is being diverted at the R59 Reading Interchange, the N12 Eastbound (Toward Alberton): Traffic is being diverted at Comaro Road.
Alternative routes are the M1 North/South via the Booysens area, the R59 through Alberton, the Kliprivier Drive and Comaro Road via Oakdene.
Picture: Supplied