Sixteen People Die After Gas Leak Near Johannesburg - Emergency Service

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2023) Sixteen people died after a poisonous gas leak in an informal settlement in South Africa's Boksburg, a suburb of Johannesburg, with the incident possibly related to illegal mining, media reported on Wednesday.

The emergency service had been notified of a gas cylinder explosion in the informal settlement, according to William Ntladi, the spokesperson for the emergency services in the metropolitan municipality of Ekurhuleni, which covers Johannesburg's eastern suburbs.

"However, when we arrived at the informal settlement we discovered that the gas cylinder had not exploded. The cylinder had (instead) leaked gas, which was very toxic and it unfortunately this far killed 16 people - including women and children," Ntladi was quoted as saying by South African newspaper The Sowetan.

Earlier the day, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reported 24 dead and noted that their deaths were caused by inhalation of nitrate gas, with women and children reportedly among the dead, while Ntladi said that the incident may be related to illegal mining in the area.

"And when you think about the illegal mining activity that was probably taking place here, one would start saying that these activities are actually illegal and lethal," Ntladi added.

The victims are yet to be identified, Ntladi concluded.