Emergency services assessed about 170 people after a suspected gas leak at a university residence in Johannesburg.

About 60 university students in Parktown, Johannesburg, were hospitalised on Sunday evening following a suspected gas leak at a student residence.

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 18:00 after several students complained of shortness of breath.

According to ER24, emergency workers arrived at the scene and found that numerous students, aged 18 and upwards, had already evacuated the buildings.

“Medics set up a triage area and began to tend to the patients, assessing approximately 170 people. After the assessments, medics transported roughly 60 patients to nearby hospitals in the area. The remaining patients declined further treatment or transportation to a hospital,” read the statement.

According to ER2 the exact details surrounding this incident are unknown, but local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.