A suspected gas leak near Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, is believed to have killed scores.
Image: Reuters
Nitrogen is said to have leaked in a Boksburg slum, possibly due to illegal mining operations. Only a few months ago there had been a serious accident in the city.
IAccording to local media reports, at least 24 people have died from gas poisoning in the South African city of Boksburg. According to this, nitrogen was released in a slum of the city on Wednesday evening for reasons that are still unclear. In the evening, rescue workers searched the settlement for further injuries and deaths. According to emergency services, women and children are among the dead.
The rescue service was alerted around 8:00 p.m., initially because of a suspected explosion. The rescue workers then found a gas leak. A cylinder with a “poisonous gas” was found on site. Initial investigations indicated that the gas had been used for “illegal mining activities,” he added.
Boksburg, located about 20 kilometers from South Africa’s economic metropolis Johannesburg, is considered the center for coal and gold mining in South Africa’s north-east. A serious gas explosion had already occurred in the city at the end of December after a tanker truck got stuck under a bridge. At least 40 people died in the accident.
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