Cause of massive Durban fire to be investigated

The fire, which started at about 5am yesterday, completely damaged a section of the Africa SunOil factory on South Coast Road, in the Mobeni area. It then spread to the neighbouring Kansai Plascon paint manufacturing plant, where it also caused “extensive damage”, according to provincial Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Robert McKenzie.

“Massive damage was done to the building, the stock as well as the machinery,” he said.

However, municipal spokesperson Thabo Mofokeng said the fire was contained within the cooking oil factory.

“Our aim was to contain the fire within the building. We have managed to contain the fire, and our team as well as the police will launch an investigation to determine the cause of the fire,” Mofokeng added.

Firefighters and other emergency personnel battled with the blaze throughout the morning, but had managed to contain it by late afternoon.

“There are still a few hot spots smouldering, but the fire has basically been extinguished,” McKenzie said.

A factory worker, along with several members of the fire department, sustained minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) raised concerns about the health risk the blaze posed to neighbouring communities, Southlands Sun reported.

Alliance coordinator Desmond D’Sa said residents realised the hazardous industrial complexes of South Durban were expanding and presented even greater threats than before.

“We call on the city health officials and fire department to thoroughly investigate this incident with regards to safety procedures and standards, equipment maintenance, tank certificates and documentation, as well as training of personnel and the alarm system,” he said.

– Caxton News Service