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7 July 2023
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Three children among 17 killed in Boksburg ‘gas leak’ tragedy, Ekurhuleni
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17 people were killed on Wednesday evening, 5 July 2023, following gas inhalation in a suspected illegal mining activity at the Angelo informal settlement outside Boksburg in Ekurhuleni. On scene spokesperson for the Disaster and Emergency Management Services in Ekurhuleni, William Ntladi, said they received a call just after 20h00 about what was initially thought to be a gas explosion.
Teams from Boksburg Central, Leon Ferreira and Rynfield fire stations respectively, responded swiftly to the scene for intervention. Ntladi said that upon arrival, they established that it was in fact a gas leakage from a gas cylinder from one of the yards within the informal settlement. He added, “16 fatalities confirmed and 16 others admitted in the hospital after resuscitation intervention of paramedics on scene. Four of those admitted are in critical condition, 11 are in serious but stable conditions while the last is fully conscious.”
“A makeshift workshop was found with several gas cylinders lying around inclusive of several sandbags. It is alleged that the gas that leaked from the cylinder was Nitric Oxide.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Thursday confirmed that the death toll from the Boksburg gas leak rose to 17. Premier Lesufi said a young man succumbed to the gas inhalation, raising the death toll.
The premier said the youngest of the deceased was a one-year-old, while the rest are believed to be illegal miners who were working in the area and using Nitric Oxide to extract gold from the soil. Premier Lesufi said he rushed to the scene as soon as emergency services notified his team. “The emergency team and forensic unit worked overnight [and] combed the area. We also released our helicopters just to be sure that the entire area is combed [so] that we don’t miss anything...”
A local resident said, “We smelled rotten eggs then tried to close the cylinders it came from. Then people started to collapse”.
Nitric oOxide (nitrogen oxide or nitrogen monoxide) is a colourless gas with the formula NO. It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical, it has an unpaired electron.
SAPS and forensic investigators were on scene conducting preliminary scene investigation. It is alleged that nitric oxide leaked from the cylinder and poisoned the community of Angelo Informal settlement in Boksburg. As per information on site, illegal mining activities were ongoing using nitric oxide to extrapolate what is said to be gold from the soil within the Informal settlement.
However, Business Maverick journalist Ed Stoddard reports that two security sources with knowledge of illegal mining said they doubted that nitrate oxide would have been the source of the tragedy if it was linked to illegal mining. “It might be mercury poisoning. If it is not used correctly it can produce a poisonous gas,” said one source, who suspected this was more likely and noted that the informal settlement is next to a slimes dam or mine dump.
Another security source familiar with mercury and cyanide being used said he had not heard of Nitric Oxide being used in South Africa.
Sources: William Ntladi, district manager media liaison: Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS); Daily Maverick; News24
Teams from Boksburg Central, Leon Ferreira and Rynfield fire stations respectively, responded swiftly to the scene for intervention. Ntladi said that upon arrival, they established that it was in fact a gas leakage from a gas cylinder from one of the yards within the informal settlement. He added, “16 fatalities confirmed and 16 others admitted in the hospital after resuscitation intervention of paramedics on scene. Four of those admitted are in critical condition, 11 are in serious but stable conditions while the last is fully conscious.”
“A makeshift workshop was found with several gas cylinders lying around inclusive of several sandbags. It is alleged that the gas that leaked from the cylinder was Nitric Oxide.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Thursday confirmed that the death toll from the Boksburg gas leak rose to 17. Premier Lesufi said a young man succumbed to the gas inhalation, raising the death toll.
The premier said the youngest of the deceased was a one-year-old, while the rest are believed to be illegal miners who were working in the area and using Nitric Oxide to extract gold from the soil. Premier Lesufi said he rushed to the scene as soon as emergency services notified his team. “The emergency team and forensic unit worked overnight [and] combed the area. We also released our helicopters just to be sure that the entire area is combed [so] that we don’t miss anything...”
A local resident said, “We smelled rotten eggs then tried to close the cylinders it came from. Then people started to collapse”.
Nitric oOxide (nitrogen oxide or nitrogen monoxide) is a colourless gas with the formula NO. It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical, it has an unpaired electron.
SAPS and forensic investigators were on scene conducting preliminary scene investigation. It is alleged that nitric oxide leaked from the cylinder and poisoned the community of Angelo Informal settlement in Boksburg. As per information on site, illegal mining activities were ongoing using nitric oxide to extrapolate what is said to be gold from the soil within the Informal settlement.
However, Business Maverick journalist Ed Stoddard reports that two security sources with knowledge of illegal mining said they doubted that nitrate oxide would have been the source of the tragedy if it was linked to illegal mining. “It might be mercury poisoning. If it is not used correctly it can produce a poisonous gas,” said one source, who suspected this was more likely and noted that the informal settlement is next to a slimes dam or mine dump.
Another security source familiar with mercury and cyanide being used said he had not heard of Nitric Oxide being used in South Africa.
Sources: William Ntladi, district manager media liaison: Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS); Daily Maverick; News24
