Two baggage handlers from King Shaka International airport have been hospitalised after a lead battery leaked acid inside the baggage compartment of a plane on Wednesday.

The lead battery was stored in the cargo hold of a Kulula flight from Cape Town to Durban leaked.

“The battery was not secured properly, the package broke and the battery acid spilled. We have been advised that two of the baggage handlers from our service provider were taken to hospital, as they came in contact with the battery acid,” said Susan van der Ryst, Comair’s corporate communications manager.

No passengers or Kulula staff came in contact with the battery acid. Van der Ryst confirmed the aircraft would be grounded until Friday as it was damaged by the leak. She could not elaborate on the extent of the damage.

Van der Ryst also stated that per International Air Transport Association regulations, lead or “wet cell” batteries are not permitted to be carried on board aircraft.

The battery had been loaded onto the aircraft as cargo by Bidair cargo and was not check in by a customer.

“We do take this incident very seriously and a full investigation will follow to ensure that we avoid a similar incident in the future,” she said.