Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Thursday confirmed that the death toll from the Boksburg gas leak rose to 17.
On Wednesday night, a gas cylinder carrying nitrate oxide is believed to have leaked at the Angelo informal settlement – killing those in the area.
Lesufi said a young man succumbed to the gas inhalation – raising the death toll.
Police made it to the scene, and emergency services said 16 others were rushed to hospital.
The premier said the youngest of the deceased was a one-year-old, while the rest are believed to be illegal miners who were working in the area and using nitrate oxide to extract gold from the soil.
Lesufi said he rushed to the scene as soon as emergency services notified his team.
“The emergency team and forensic unit worked overnight [and] combed the area. We also released our helicopters just to be sure that the entire area is combed [so] that we don’t miss anything…”
This is the same area where 41 people were killed last Christmas when a gas tanker was stuck under a bridge. That tanker was carrying flammable gas, which exploded.