At least 16 people, including three children, were killed by a leak of toxic nitrate gas used by illegal miners to process gold in a settlement of closely packed metal shacks, as reported by South African police and local officials on Wednesday evening.
Initially, emergency services indicated that the death toll could reach 24 in the Angelo settlement, located in Boksburg, a city on the eastern outskirts of Johannesburg. However, after a recount of the bodies, the number of confirmed deaths was revised to 16, according to the police and Gauteng Province Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
Lesufi, who visited the scene, described it as a distressing, emotionally draining, and tragic situation, as quoted in news reports.
Throughout the night, search teams tirelessly combed the area in search of further casualties. Hours after the gas leak was reported at around 8 p.m., the victims’ bodies remained on the ground as emergency services awaited the arrival of forensic investigators and pathologists to process the scene. Even at 3 a.m., the bodies were still in the same position.
William Ntladi, the spokesperson for the emergency services, stated, “We can’t move anybody. The bodies are still where they are on the ground.”
An image showed a forensic investigator covering the body of a young child with a blanket. Another body was visible, covered by a white cloth with a shoe sticking out, under a strip of yellow police tape cordoning off the area.
The police confirmed that the three deceased children were aged 1, 6, and 15. Additionally, two individuals were taken to the hospital for treatment, according to the police.
Boksburg was previously the site where 41 people lost their lives when a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas became trapped under a bridge and exploded on Christmas Eve.
Ntladi revealed that Wednesday’s deaths resulted from a nitrate gas leakage from a gas cylinder stored in a shack. He explained that the cylinder had emptied during the leak, allowing the teams to investigate an area spanning 100 meters (100 yards) from the cylinder to identify potential further casualties.
Investigators faced the challenge of searching through narrow alleys between shacks, which were plunged into darkness due to the lack of streetlights—a common situation in the impoverished informal settlements surrounding South Africa’s cities. At the entrance to the Angelo settlement, six police cars, an armored vehicle, and one ambulance were parked.
Ntladi stated that the information obtained indicated that the cylinder responsible for the leak was being used by illegal miners to separate gold from dirt and rock.
Gauteng Premier Lesufi shared videos on Twitter, showing the dusty interior of a shack where at least four gas cylinders could be seen on metal stands. In one video, he highlighted the cylinder that caused the leak lying on the floor near the shack’s entrance.
Authorities did not disclose whether the illegal miners suspected of causing the gas leak were among the victims.
Illegal mining is prevalent in the gold-rich areas surrounding Johannesburg, where miners venture into closed-off and abandoned mines in search of any remaining deposits.
Fatalities in underground mining are also common, and the South African government’s mining department recently reported that at least 31 illegal miners were believed to have died in a methane gas explosion in a disused mine in the city of Welkom, located in central South Africa.
This tragedy is likely to fuel further outrage towards illegal miners, who are often migrants from neighbouring countries.
In organised gangs and are blamed for bringing crime into neighbourhoods. Last year, an incident of violence against illegal miners occurred, resulting in days of unrest in an area west of Johannesburg. The incident occurred after a group of 80 men, suspected to be illegal miners, were charged with gang-raping eight women who were working on a TV shoot at an abandoned mine.
The tragic gas leak that claimed the lives of 16 individuals, including children, in the South African settlement sheds light on the dangers associated with illegal mining in the region. The incident serves as a grim reminder of the risks involved in the extraction of precious resources in unregulated and hazardous conditions. It also amplifies concerns regarding the influx of crime brought about by organised gangs involved in illegal mining activities.
As authorities continue their investigations, the focus remains on ensuring the safety and well-being of the affected community. Efforts are being made to address the root causes of illegal mining, including improving regulations, enhancing security measures, and providing alternative economic opportunities for individuals who resort to such dangerous practices.
It is hoped that this tragedy will prompt greater awareness and action to tackle the issue of illegal mining, safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of those residing in vulnerable settlements. The government and relevant stakeholders must collaborate to implement comprehensive solutions that address the underlying socio-economic factors contributing to illegal mining, ultimately fostering safer and more sustainable mining practices in South Africa.