A toxic nitrate gas leak claimed the lives of at least 16 people, including three children, on Wednesday, July 5. 

The gas was being used by illegal miners to extract gold in the Angelo settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. 

At first, emergency services feared that the death toll might reach 24, but after a recount, it was confirmed that 16 lives had been tragically lost. Search teams maintained their efforts to locate any additional victims, while awaiting the arrival of forensic investigators and pathologists. The bodies of the deceased remained at the scene for necessary procedures. 

Heart-wrenching scenes unfolded as an official covered the body of a child with a blanket. Another body, draped in white cloth, lay visible beneath yellow police tape. 

The three child victims were aged one, six, and 15. Additionally, two injured people were transported to the hospital for treatment. Emergency services spokesperson William Ntladi explained that the deadly gas leak resulted from a cylinder stored in a shack, previously used by illegal miners to separate gold from soil and rock. The cylinder had depleted, allowing authorities to expand their search area to ensure no more casualties. 

Boksburg experienced a previous tragedy when 41 people lost their lives in a Christmas Eve incident, in which a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded after becoming lodged under a bridge. 

The gold-rich regions surrounding Johannesburg in South Africa have become hotspots for illegal mining activities. Miners risk their lives venturing into closed and abandoned mines in search of remaining deposits. Fatal incidents, both above and below ground, are distressingly frequent. Recently, a gas explosion in an old mine in the city of Welkom claimed the lives of at least 31 illegal miners due to methane gas, according to the country’s mining agency.