JOHANNESBURG: At least 24 people, including children, have died after a gas leak at a South African slum near Johannesburg, emergency services said late Wednesday.
“We counted about 24 fatalities,” emergency services spokesman William Ntladi told AFP from the scene.
The disaster occurred near the district of Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
Emergency services received a call around 8 pm (1800 GMT) for what was reported to be a gas explosion, but on arrival they discovered it was “a gas leakage from a cylinder” containing a “poisonous gas”, Ntladi said.
He said women and children were among the dead.
Preliminary information suggests the gas was being used “as part of illegal mining activities,” he added.
“We counted about 24 fatalities,” emergency services spokesman William Ntladi told AFP from the scene.
The disaster occurred near the district of Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
Emergency services received a call around 8 pm (1800 GMT) for what was reported to be a gas explosion, but on arrival they discovered it was “a gas leakage from a cylinder” containing a “poisonous gas”, Ntladi said.
He said women and children were among the dead.
Preliminary information suggests the gas was being used “as part of illegal mining activities,” he added.