An explosion rocked Clairwood in Durban on Sunday after 5:30pm when an oil tanker caught alight, sending plumes of thick smoke into the air. 

The incident occurred at the corner of Ganesh and Pine roads. It is believed that the blaze could have been started by someone who was burning copper on the side of the road.

A concerned resident, who lives nearby, said he was at home watching TV with his wife when he heard the loud explosion. The resident spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

“My wife pulled open the curtains and saw an enormous fire. It was like an atomic bomb had exploded. The fire department arrived very quickly but they were struggling because the fire was out of control,” he said.

He expressed his concerns on the increase of trucking businesses operating in the Clairwood community.

“How can you have trucking company with a yard filled with trucks right next door to a house? The roads are very narrow and are not meant for trucks. They are damaging our pavements, knocking over boundary walls and knocking into pedestrians. We cannot even come out of our driveways sometimes because trucks are blocking us,” he said.

He added that they had been without power since the incident occurred due to the fact that a pole carrying a power line had been badly damaged during the fire.

“Not only do we fear for our lives because we don’t know if we’ll get knocked over by the trucks, but it is also a health risk because we are breathing in diesel fumes every day. My wife has asthma and she’s falling ill because the diesel fumes are affecting her badly. As a result, we’ve spent a lot of money on doctor’s fees over the years. I’ve built a beautiful house but the area around it is an ugly mess. It’s just terrible to look at. We pay rates but I don’t see where my rates money is going. The councillor has to do some thing about the trucking issue in Clairwood,” said the disgruntled resident.

Another fire, which occurred in November last year in Clairwood, claimed the life of a Hindu priest when his house caught alight in the early hours of the morning while he was asleep.