A Gauteng EMS rescue technician has explained the state of the area from where illegal miners were allegedly operating at the Angelo informal settlement in Boksburg.
Aubrey Lewete said that the cordoned off section was seemingly set up as a makeshift mineral processor.
“You can see that they were still working and going through the process of sifting the material. They had hidden this place very well; all sides were covered with tarp, and no one could see these many pipes that were working here. I don’t think anyone knew what was going on here,” said Lewete
Seventeen people died, and several others are in hospital, following a nitrate oxide leak from a cylinder that was found in the shack on Wednesday night.
Community member, Judite Manhiça, who lost her son and his partner in the tragedy, told Sowetan that her neighbour informed her about the leak and that her son had collapsed.
“When I arrived there, my son and my daughter-in-law were dead. I couldn’t understand how this happened.”
Manhiça said she lived in another part of the informal settlement.
Another resident Samaria Nyathami said she lost her husband and didn’t know what to do next.
“I also don’t live this side. I was called and told my husband had passed. My husband works in construction. I can’t even begin to understand why this happened.
“My husband was the breadwinner. What am I supposed to do now? How do we continue to live? It’s not fair.”
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