Tragic Gas Leak Incident in South Africa: Mozambique Nationals Among Victims.
Officials from Mozambique in South Africa have expressed their concerns that at least 10 of their fellow nationals might have lost their lives in a gas leak incident that occurred on Wednesday night in an informal settlement located in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg. The incident took place in the densely populated Angelo shanty town, where it is believed that at least four individuals, who are currently receiving medical treatment in a hospital, are also from Mozambique.
Toxic gases are commonly employed by illegal gold miners, locally known as “zama zamas,” to extract gold from soil taken from abandoned mine shafts. It is suspected that this practice could be the cause of the gas leak.
A considerable number of Mozambican migrants reside in South Africa, seeking employment in both the formal and informal sectors, including mining.
Heartbreakingly, a Mozambican woman living in South Africa shared with the BBC that her husband lost his life in the gas leak incident. Overwhelmed with grief, she tearfully expressed her concerns about repatriating her husband’s body to Mozambique, as she herself is currently unemployed, and her husband had been working part-time jobs as a handyman. The situation has placed her in a challenging predicament.
This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the risks faced by individuals living in informal settlements and the difficult circumstances encountered by migrant workers in foreign countries.
