Faced with the possibility of losing his life, Tshepi didn't hesitate. He still tried to save the life of his friend.

But Tshepi lost his life after inhaling oxide gas. His friend also passed away at the scene of the Boksburg gas leakage in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday night.

Tshepi's brother Syfred Manaka said he was with him when Tshepi told his family that he was going to save his friend.

"I know Tshepi and his friend were very close and they were always socialising together. The community knew if they found Tshepi his friend would be close by," said Syfred.

He said as the news of the gas leakage spread, the first thing Tshepi told us was if his friend was still fine, but Tshepi was restless and soon left to check on his friend.

Minutes after he left, we received a call that he was one of the people who had lost his life.

"It happened so quickly. It's like a joke. This can't be true. One minute we were together and laughing, the next he was no more. This is so cruel," said Syfred.

Syfred recalled his brother's good heart.

"He never wanted to hurt anybody. He would always go the extra mile for the next guy. I'm not surprised that he even sacrificed his life for his friend. His good heart has robbed us of our brother," he said.

A gas explosion at Angelo squatter camp in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, has claimed the lives of 17 people, including women and three children.

Most of the victims were zama zamas, using gas cylinders for gold extraction. Authorities are assessing the damage, and the death toll may rise.

The police forensic department has sealed off the scene to prevent contamination. Efforts are underway to relocate people from the camp to alleviate congestion.