Johannesburg (EFE).- At least 16 people died last night and another 16 were injured by an apparent gas leak that occurred in an informal settlement in northern South Africa, according to emergency services.
The event occurred in the settlement of Angelo, near the city of Boksburg, about 30 kilometers from Johannesburg.
The spokesman for the Disaster and Emergency Management Services of the City of Ekurhuleni (a municipality of which Boksburg is a part), William Ntladi, confirmed the number of casualties.
“I can confirm that there was gas poisoning. A cylinder of nitrate oxide was found in the place,” Ntladi explained in statements collected in local media.
Apart from the deceased, he specified, other victims were “resuscitated after the intervention of the paramedics” and transferred to a hospital.
“Those admitted to the hospital are 16 in total, of which four are in critical condition and another eleven in serious but stable condition. Whereas one has been admitted in a fully conscious state,” the spokesperson added.
According to local media, the victims could be irregular miners who use nitrate oxide to extract gold from deposits in the area.
The incident took place after at least 41 people were killed in Boksburg by the explosion of a gas tanker truck on December 24.