 At least 16 people, including three children, were killed by a leak of a toxic nitrate gas being used by illegal miners to process gold in a settlement of closely parked metal shack South Africa Police and local officials said late on Wednesday. Emergency services initially announced that as many as 24 people might be dead in the Anglo settlement in Bucksburg, a city on the eastern outskirts of Johannesburg. But police and Goetting-Police-Premier Pajnaza Lafuzzi later said the number of deaths had been confirmed as 16 after a recount of the bodies. Police said the three children killed were aged one, six and 15. Two people were taken to the hospital for treatment. Definitely came from a gastric potentially from what you would refer to as illegal miners, Zama Zamas, a dwelling of Zama Zamas and that leakage actually was inhaled by members of the community and subsequently they found themselves in the situation where they passed on. They have not healed from the last, you know, case explosion. It was a very sad day for people of Bucksburg, people of Guruleni. We are hoping that this number would not escalate and that the site of course has been happening in other dwellings, in other shacks or homes to actually see if there are no casualties. Find out about fresh news updates.