16 Dead After Suspected Gas Leak In South Africa: Report

A suspected gas leak in South Africa's informal settlement killed atleast 16 people and probe was underway to determine which gas was involved in the mishap.

A body covered with a blanket is seen about 300 metres away from a scene where people died from a gas leak at the Angelo informal settlement in Boksburg on July 6, 2023.

At least 16 people died in a suspected gas leak at an informal settlement near Boksburg east of Johannesburg in South Africa, said the head of the provincial government on Wednesday, adding that the investigation was underway to determine the type of gas involved. "Sixteen is the verified number. The team has assured me that they have done a recount," South Africa's Gauteng Province Premier Panyaza Lesufi told reporters, with a one-year-old victim being the youngest among them, as per a Reuters report.  

"It's not a nice scene at all, it's not a nice scene. It's painful, emotionally draining and tragic," the premier said, adding the bodies were scattered over the area.