Death toll from South Africa gas truck explosion rises to 34

A burned out vehicle marks the spot where a gas tanker exploded under a bridge in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg (Hein Kaiser/AP/PA)

The death toll from an explosion of a tanker truck on Christmas Eve near eastern Johannesburg has risen to 34, including 10 health workers at a nearby hospital.

The truck was carrying gas when it got stuck under a low-lying bridge in the town of Boksburg, sparking flames. As firefighters tried to extinguish them the tanker exploded, according to emergency services officials.