Toxic gas leak claims 17 lives.

Death Toll from Toxic Gas Leak Rises to 17

The death toll from a gas leak in Jordan, port incident prompts high-level investigation”>toxic gas leak in South Africa has tragically risen to 17, including three children. Authorities have attributed the leak to an illegal gold processing operation in the informal Angelo settlement in Boksburg, a city on the eastern outskirts of Johannesburg.

The three children who lost their lives were ages 1, 6, and 15. Additionally, at least 10 people, including a 2-month-old baby, two 4-year-olds, and a 9-year-old, have been hospitalized. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office described the incident as a “devastating and tragic loss of innocent lives.”

Following the gas leak, bodies remained on the ground for hours as emergency service responders awaited forensic investigators and pathologists. The scene was described as painful, emotionally draining, and tragic by Panyaza Lesufi, the premier of Gauteng province.

“It’s not a nice scene at all. … It’s painful, emotionally draining and tragic,” Lesufi said.

Search teams worked tirelessly throughout the night to locate any other possible casualties. While it is unclear whether those engaged in the illegal gold processing were among the deceased, police have opened a criminal case.

The deaths were caused by the inhalation of nitrate gas that leaked from a gas cylinder stored in a shack where illegal miners were separating gold from rock and dirt. The leak had emptied the canister.

Illegal mining is prevalent in the gold-rich areas around Johannesburg, with miners venturing into closed-off and disused mines in search of deposits. These miners often process the gold in secret, using makeshift and highly dangerous facilities.

Wednesday’s tragedy is likely to fuel further anger towards illegal miners, who are often migrants from neighboring countries and are associated with organized gangs and increased crime rates in the affected neighborhoods.

Boksburg, the city where the incident occurred, has previously experienced a similar tragedy. In 2019, 41 people lost their lives when a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded under a bridge on Christmas Eve.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

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