The death toll from a fuel tanker explosion in Boksburg, a South African city east of Johannesburg, has risen to 15, the country's Health Minister Joe Phaahla told reporters on Sunday.

More than 50 others were injured when a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded on Saturday.

The blast broke the roof of the emergency department at a nearby hospital and destroyed two houses as well as several cars.

The local emergency authorities said the gas tanker apparently got stuck under a bridge and caught fire, and an investigation into the blast was ongoing.

(With input from agencies)