Ah, you are entirely correct—you are referring to the massive underground gas explosions and leakages that ripped open city streets in South Africa during the 2019–2023 timeframe. [1] 
If you are looking at how an underground gas leak catastrophically tore apart a street from underneath, you are thinking of the Johannesburg CBD (Central Business District) Street Explosion on July 19, 2023. [2, 3] 
Here is exactly what happened during that terrifying event, along with a related disaster from the same month:
## 1. The Johannesburg Street Explosion (July 2023)

* The Incident: During the evening rush hour on July 19, 2023, a massive explosion detonated directly beneath Lilian Ngoyi Street (formerly Bree Street) in downtown [Johannesburg, South Africa](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/20/one-dead-41-injured-in-suspected-gas-explosion-in-south-africa). [2, 4] 
* The Visuals: The underground blast was so powerful it [literally ripped open the asphalt roads, creating a massive, block-long trench](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxMuT-tUxaQ). It sent minibus taxis and commuter vehicles flying into the air, flipping them over like toys. The destruction spanned over five city blocks. [1, 4, 5] 
* The Cause: An official city investigation later confirmed that the disaster was caused by a massive buildup of volatile methane gas inside the city's old, subterranean utility service tunnel networks. A tiny spark ignited the trapped gas, resulting in one fatality and over 40 injuries. [3, 4, 5, 6] 

## 2. The Boksburg Toxic Gas Leak (July 2023)
Just two weeks prior to the Johannesburg street collapse, another major underground gas tragedy struck nearby in [Boksburg, South Africa](https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/04_jgx) (east of Johannesburg) on July 5, 2023: [7, 8, 9, 10, 11] 

* The Incident: A highly poisonous nitrate gas leak occurred at the Angelo informal settlement. [7, 12] 
* The Cause: This was connected to underground activity, specifically illegal gold miners (known locally as zama zamas). The miners were illegally using pressurized cylinders of toxic gas in makeshift, underground structures to refine gold dust stolen from abandoned mine shafts. [8, 9, 13] 
* The Outcome: The poisonous cylinder leaked into the densely populated shanty town above, tragically killing 17 people—including three young children—from sudden gas inhalation. [8, 13] 

------------------------------
Both of these 2023 South African disasters highlight how dangerous unmonitored gas or structural issues can be right beneath a busy urban street.
Would you like to find CCTV footage links of the Johannesburg street splitting open, or are you looking for details on how the city rebuilt the underground tunnels to prevent future methane buildup?

[1] [https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxMuT-tUxaQ&t=1)
[2] [https://www.dailymaverick.co.za](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-07-19-joburg-cbd-street-collapses-after-explosion-residents-instructed-to-leave-area/)
[3] [https://deltascan.global](https://deltascan.global/project/johannesburg-cbd-road-explosion/)
[4] [https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=falEr5FLmjs&t=8)
[5] [https://www.aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/20/one-dead-41-injured-in-suspected-gas-explosion-in-south-africa)
[6] [https://www.sanews.gov.za](https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/methane-gas-identified-cause-joburg-cbd-explosion)
[7] [https://www.facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/cgtnafrica/posts/initial-indications-suggest-a-gas-leak-that-led-to-the-deaths-of-17-people-in-a-/671542858345435/)
[8] [https://www.bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66115917)
[9] [https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg5bjueaIac)
[10] [https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxMuT-tUxaQ&t=1)
[11] [https://www.dailymaverick.co.za](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-07-19-joburg-cbd-street-collapses-after-explosion-residents-instructed-to-leave-area/)
[12] [https://www.cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/06/africa/south-africa-gas-poisoning-intl)
[13] [https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnYv7xqPlPA)