On Wednesday, a tragic incident occurred in the Angelo settlement in Boksburg, a city on the outskirts of Johannesburg. At least 16 people, including three children, lost their lives due to a toxic nitrate gas leak. The gas was being used by illegal miners for gold processing in the informal settlement.
Initially, emergency services reported that the death toll might reach 24. However, authorities later confirmed that 16 people had perished in the incident. Efforts are still underway to search the area for any additional casualties. The bodies of the victims are still on the ground, awaiting forensic investigation and examination by pathologists.
Emergency services spokesman William Ntladi stated that they cannot move the bodies at the moment. Noteworthy scenes include an official covering the body of a child with a blanket and another body draped in a white cloth with a protruding shoe. The police have revealed that the ages of the deceased children are 1, 6, and 15, while two others have been hospitalized for treatment.
This unfortunate incident took place in Boksburg, where a previous tragedy occurred on Christmas Eve, resulting in the deaths of 41 people. A truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas had gotten stuck under a bridge and exploded.
Ntladi explained that the lethal gas leak on Wednesday was caused by a nitrate gas cylinder stored in a shack. The gas had leaked completely from the cylinder, and search teams are now combing an area spanning 100 meters for any potential victims.
Gauteng Province Premier Panyaza Lesufi tweeted videos of the interior of a dusty shack, where at least four gas cylinders can be seen. The video shows the cylinder responsible for the leak lying on the floor near the entrance. However, authorities have not confirmed if the illegal miners involved in the incident were among the casualties.
Illegal mining is a prevalent issue in the gold-rich areas near Johannesburg, with miners venturing into closed-off and abandoned mines in search of remaining deposits. Fatalities due to mining accidents, both underground and from gas explosions, are unfortunately common. Just recently, the South African government announced that at least 31 illegal miners were believed to have died in a gas explosion in a disused mine in Welkom, central South Africa. The cause of that incident was methane gas.
Reported by Imray from Cape Town, South Africa.
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