Beitbridge Border Post closed as LP gas tanker is left at service station

_{Thupeyo Muleya}

_{Beitbridge Bureau}

 _{South African and Zimbabwean border officials have temporarily stopped the movement of traffic into either country through the Beitbridge port of entry as a precautionary measure as an LP gas tanker was left at the Shell service station, thereby posing an explosion hazard.}

_{Emergency teams have been deployed to the scene and are working on transfering the gas to another tanker.}

_{In a statement to inter-border agencies and stakeholders, South Africa Revenue Services lead person at Beitbridge, Ms Memory Ndou said as a precautionary measure, all operations at the border post have been temporarily suspended.}

_{The team is clearing trucks from the gate, and officials have been evacuated to ensure their safety.}

_{Truck drivers have been advised to return to designated truck parking areas.}

_{“There is currently a stranded LP Gas tanker at the Shell garage, thereby posing a potential explosion hazard. Emergency teams have been deployed and are preparing to transfer the gas safely to another tanker,” said the official.}

_{“During this transfer process, all operations will be temporarily suspended. The team is clearing a few trucks at the gate and where possible, trucks should be returned to truck parking areas and officials will be evacuated.}

_{“The process of transferring gas will start at 15:30hrs. To ensure safety, traffic officials have been instructed to halt all vehicle movement beyond Matombo. Additionally, authorities in Zimbabwe have been requested to stop traffic flow from their side.”}

_{According to the notice, an update regarding the duration of this operational pause and the expected time for resumption will be announced soon.}

_{It is understood that the temporary closure may cause delays for travellers and truck drivers, and these are advised to plan accordingly and consider alternative routes or wait for further updates.}

_{This is the second time operations at the border have to be suspended due to gas-related incidents.}

_{Traffic was recently halted on Zimbabwe’s side following a gas leak. This was swiftly resolved.}