Authorities investigate cause of Engen Refinery explosion

SEVEN people were treated on the scene following an explosion at Engen Refinery on Tara Road. According to paramedics, the injured sustained mild to moderate injuries and were stabilised before being taken to hospital.

The loud thud, which some people have likened to an earthquake, was heard on Friday morning, 4 December. Residents as far out as Westville North, about 22km from the refinery, heard the explosion which happened at about 7am. The blast also affected the electrical cables of an adjacent block of flats in Wiest Road, causing a fire and damage to the façade of the building.

“Rescue Care Paramedics together with multiple other emergency medical services and rescue (EMRS) units arrived on the scene to find a large fire after some sort of explosion. A triage area was set up by EMRS while firefighters and rescue personnel entered the refinery to bring out the injured personnel and to fight the blaze. The patients sustained mild to moderate injuries and were stabilised on the scene before being transported to nearby Durban hospitals for further care,” said Rescue Care media spokesman, Rowan Scandroglio.

Although the cause of the explosion is unknown, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) said this exposed the failure of the eThekwini Department of Disaster Management to communicate a disaster, emergency evacuation plan to the South Durban citizenry.

Air quality and GIS officer, Bongani Mthembu, took air-bucket samples. He expressed concern over the exposure of the community to noxious chemicals from the fire, especially since people from South Durban are already smothered by pollutive industries.

Co-ordinator at SDCEA, Desmond D’Sa voiced the need for Engen to be held accountable for the disaster as they have failed to maintain the refinery, thereby putting fence line communities like Wentworth, Merebank and Bluff at risk.

“Although the extent of the damage is unclear, city officials need to take heed of this near-fatal disaster and devise and communicate a disaster, emergency evacuation plan. Moreover, the lack of understanding among people has led to fear and confusion because the Clairwood racecourse, the last remaining green space in the area, was turned into a logistics park,” he said.

Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad on behalf of the Metro Police and the Fire Department said the two units worked very closely together to contain the fire. “Metro Police closed off the road leading to and from the refinery and traffic was diverted. At this time, we do not know what caused the explosion at the refinery nor what set the flat on Wiest Road alight,” he said.

A comment from Engen was not available at the time of publication.