By Johnathan Paoli
A second explosion linked to a Woolworths store in less than 24 hours has triggered heightened concern among police and shopping centre management, after a blast ripped through the Woolworths Food store at Preller Square in Bloemfontein during the early hours of Friday morning.
The explosion, which occurred in the northern suburbs of Bloemfontein, came just a day after an explosive device detonated inside a Woolworths branch at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Tshwane.
No injuries or fatalities were reported in either incident, but authorities have launched intensive investigations amid fears the explosions could be connected.
Police cordoned off the affected section of Preller Square as members of the SAPS explosives unit, K9 teams, and investigators conducted a detailed sweep of the premises to determine whether any secondary devices had been planted.
Although the explosion caused alarm throughout the centre, surrounding stores appeared to have escaped damage.
Following a police sweep, most sections of the mall were reopened to the public, while the affected Woolworths store remained closed and sealed off as an active crime scene.
Free State police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli confirmed the matter had been handed over to the Hawks for further investigation.
“There was an explosion that happened in the Woolworths, but our explosives unit is still busy at the scene, processing the entire area to determine whether there was a secondary explosion or another device that may have been stored or placed somewhere,” Kareli said.
He said the enclosed nature of the store amplified the sound and impact of the blast.
“It isn’t a large area where the explosion occurred, but because it happened in an enclosed space, it created a very loud blast,” he said.
Kareli confirmed that while the rest of the shopping centre had resumed operations, the affected section of Woolworths remained inaccessible to both workers and customers.
Police also appealed to the public to remain alert and report any suspicious items or activity to law enforcement authorities.
“People must remain vigilant. If they notice any suspicious package, they should not tamper with it. Leave it as it is and contact the police immediately. We will then summon the explosives unit to investigate,” Kareli said.
Investigators are now probing whether the Bloemfontein explosion is linked to a similar incident that occurred at Menlyn Mall in Pretoria in the early hours of Thursday morning.
In that incident, an unknown explosive device detonated on a shelf inside the Woolworths store while five packers were on duty stocking shelves at around 1am.
Tshwane police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk said the workers escaped unharmed despite the explosion occurring inside the store while they were present.
Van Dyk said emergency services responded immediately and sealed off the scene while bomb disposal experts and investigators searched the premises.
“At the time of the incident, five packers were on duty inside the store. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Damage sustained was limited to food items and shelving inside the store,” he said.
Images released from the Menlyn scene showed extensive damage to shelving and scattered food products across the aisle. Metal shelving had been punctured and bent by the force of the explosion, while cereal boxes and other packaged goods were strewn across the floor amid debris and broken fixtures.
Van Dyk confirmed that police had opened a case under the Explosives Act.
The SAPS has not yet confirmed whether the two explosions are linked, but investigations in both Gauteng and the Free State are continuing.
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