Another explosion in Boksburg?

[Gordon_R]

True. You get Nitric oxide (NO), and then also nitrous oxide (N2O) and also nitrogen dioxode (NO2).

There are multiple oxides of nitrogen, since it can have oxidation states of +1, +2, and +3. Some are more stable than others. Many exist as trace constituents in atmospheric pollution. See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOx and

Nitrogen oxide - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Most are intermediates in the production of nitrate (NO4) fertiliser. Only the first few are gases, and very few are produced in industrial quantities, or bottled in gas cylinders.

 

[Jan van Riebeeckstad]

U

Ah man. I wish I could voice my opinion about this situation but I will ruffle a few feathers and my notifications center will end up looking like this again. View attachment 1551899
I will save my insightful and empathetic opinions for the next thread.

Noob, I got a message from God himself about my behaviour.

 

[Gordon_R]

At least we know whatever it was, it e-X-plo²ded³

AFAIK it did not explode. They were most likely suffocated, since it displaces oxygen in the air.

The victims - including women and children - died from gas inhalation at an informal settlement in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.

One of the gas cylinders was found leaking in Boksburg's densely populated Angelo shanty town.

 

[geezer]

There are multiple oxides of nitrogen, since it can have oxidation states of +1, +2, and +3. Some are more stable than others. Many exist as trace constituents in atmospheric pollution. See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOx and

Nitrogen oxide - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Most are intermediates in the production of nitrate (NO4) fertiliser. Only the first few are gases, and very few are produced in industrial quantities, or bottled in gas cylinders.

I was just mentioning the more "common" nitrogen oxides that the article may have misnamed as nitrate oxide.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

You will get banned for using that word it hurts the wokes.

Which of the mods are woke ?

 

[Gordon_R]

I was just mentioning the more "common" nitrogen oxides that the articel may have misnamed as nitrate oxide.

Sure. The point is that if you search for nitrate oxide, there are no such links.

By a process of elimination, the common alternatives reduce down to one which is produced in industrial/medical gas cylinders. See:

Welcome to Home | Afrox eShop - South Africa

Shop online for LPG, industrial gases, equipment & accessories online. Afrox is a world-class gases supplier. Order today.

www.afroxshop.co.za

Nitric oxide is supplied in mini-cylinders, for producing whipped cream.

 

[lkpat]

I'm lost on this issue.
1) there was / was not an explosion
2) people died of inhalation - how is this possible to the extent that we've seen with gas in the open air?
3) was it maybe both?
4) is this perhaps a gas that hangs low in cool weather and it enveloped the homes as people slept? If so, this must have surely been a LOT of gas.

They were cutting cylinders? So they weren't after the gas itself?

This morning ENCA says 17 dead. We've had 20, 24 and now 17.

 

[sefeddt]

Appears a gas leak, no explosion

https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoksburgGasLeak?src=hashtag_click

 

[sefeddt]

Keen to hear from EFF on this

 

[TheChamp]

I'm lost on this issue.
1) there was / was not an explosion
2) people died of inhalation - how is this possible to the extent that we've seen with gas in the open air?
3) was it maybe both?
4) is this perhaps a gas that hangs low in cool weather and it enveloped the homes as people slept? If so, this must have surely been a LOT of gas.

They were cutting cylinders? So they weren't after the gas itself?

This morning ENCA says 17 dead. We've had 20, 24 and now 17.

Not sure how the gas works but some squatter camps are that densely populated, as in the space between you at your neighbour is just enough for one person to walk through, so not too much of a surprise that people can die like this.

 

[R13...]

Ammonium nitrate fertliser is a solid, not a gas. Nitric oxide is also a gas, but not produced in industrial quantities. Seems like just a typo.

The article says it is used to extract gold. I have no idea how this supposedly works. In Chemical Engineering this is certainly not a mainstream technique. Traditional extraction uses cyanide, which is not pleasant stuff, but is a liquid not a gas.

There is a video on Twitter showing the cylinder responsible. It seems the miners are using the cylinders themselves for processing not the contents. The cylinders are cut and used somehow (crucibles maybe?). It would then seem these zama zamas wouldn't know/care what is in the cylinders or even if they were full or empty. Dangerous stuff, cutting into something that could contain highly flammable ****.

Here's a pic (from a different op)

 

[ToxicBunny]

There is a video on Twitter showing the cylinder responsible. It seems the miners are using the cylinders themselves for processing not the contents. The cylinders are cut and used somehow (crucibles maybe?). It would then seem these zama zamas wouldn't know/care what is in the cylinders or even if they were full or empty. Dangerous stuff, cutting into something that could contain highly flammable ****.

Here's a pic (from a different op)

Yeah pretty much, its a given these tossers just steal the canisters from wherever and have zero fscking idea if they're full or not... I can only image that if 20+ people died one of the canisters would have been full. Given that its heavier than air (from what I can see) it would have settled on the ground and suffocated people and then it probably went *poof*

 

[R13...]

Also the cylinders in the videos are white (red top in one) none of which are colour coded for any nitrogen or its oxides. Nitrogen is black and nitrous oxide blue. White is O2.

 

[lkpat]

Not sure how the gas works but some squatter camps are that densely populated, as in the space between you at your neighbour is just enough for one person to walk through, so not too much of a surprise that people can die like this.

I'm just picturing how many canisters and what size are required to kill people, but perhaps with it being cooler in the evening, the gas doesn't dissipate as much... and perhaps it's quite toxic too.

 

[lkpat]

Yeah pretty much, its a given these tossers just steal the canisters from wherever and have zero fscking idea if they're full or not... I can only image that if 20+ people died one of the canisters would have been full. Given that its heavier than air (from what I can see) it would have settled on the ground and suffocated people and then it probably went *poof*

Yeah, those are some big tanks.

 

[lkpat]

There is a video on Twitter showing the cylinder responsible. It seems the miners are using the cylinders themselves for processing not the contents. The cylinders are cut and used somehow (crucibles maybe?). It would then seem these zama zamas wouldn't know/care what is in the cylinders or even if they were full or empty. Dangerous stuff, cutting into something that could contain highly flammable ****.

Here's a pic (from a different op)

Crucibles sounds feasable. So just using the shell, but in cutting them open, allowed the gas to escape.
How desperate or thick must you be, though, to cut a cylinder that isn't empty.

 

[ToxicBunny]

I'm just picturing how many canisters and what size are required to kill people, but perhaps with it being cooler in the evening, the gas doesn't dissipate as much... and perhaps it's quite toxic too.

If it was Nitric Oxide, its insanely toxic above certain concentrations, and its heavier than air so it will fill up a space for a while before dissipating.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Crucibles sounds feasable. So just using the shell, but in cutting them open, allowed the gas to escape.
How desperate or thick must you be, though, to cut a cylinder that isn't empty.

I would put good money on the fact that these ZamaZamas have no idea what is in the canisters they steal... or how toxic certain things are.. hell even LPG is toxic to humans above a certain concentration and also being heavier than air it will linger in a place for awhile.

 

[lkpat]

Keen to hear from EFF on this

The EFF saluting our future.
Instead of helping them find real employment. Because they're better off than working for one of those colonialist western companies and earning a salary.
Classy.

 

[Pak Fa Fui]

Sure. The point is that if you search for nitrate oxide, there are no such links.

By a process of elimination, the common alternatives reduce down to one which is produced in industrial/medical gas cylinders. See:

Welcome to Home | Afrox eShop - South Africa

Shop online for LPG, industrial gases, equipment & accessories online. Afrox is a world-class gases supplier. Order today.

www.afroxshop.co.za

Nitric oxide is supplied in mini-cylinders, for producing whipped cream.

Whichever gas has a very bad smell, thats the one
The people there reported they smelled something stinking and when the group went to look where it was coming from they collapsed and died