Four S'African police officers killed in car explosion

South African Police Minister, Nathi Mthethwa, said in Cape Town that four police officers were killed in a car explosion in Mokopane, northern South Africa early Thursday.

He said a grocery truck collided with a truck carrying blasting cartridges and soon after the police arrived on the scene of the collision, the cartridges went off, killing the four officers and the truck driver.

Mthethwa said the police officers died in the flames while trying to rescue the driver who was trapped in one of the trucks while three others were seriously injured and sent to hospital.

The acting CEO, Government Communication and Information System, Phumla Williams, said government was shocked and deeply saddened by the death.

She said it was indeed a sad day for government and the people of the country to have lost men in the line of duty.

Williams said government offered its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Government is confident that the South African Police Service will thoroughly investigate the accident.

'Citizens should pause and remember to thank law enforcement officials who are the first respondents to accidents and other criminal activities because on a daily basis, they risk their own lives to fulfil their mission of protecting fellow citizens,' Williams said.

Williams said a team of police investigators were also at the scene.