FOUR employees sustained burn wounds, and nine others were transported to various hospitals after a fire broke out at a factory in Jacobs industrial area earlier this morning (December 18).

The workers were inside the factory when a transformer blew up, causing the fire to spread rapidly on the premises.

Also read: Jacobs factory fire suffocates already suffering communities

Spokesperson for ALS Paramedics, Garrith Jamieson, said at around 08:30 they received numerous calls of a factory that had caught alight on the corner of Chamberlain Road and Milner Street in the Jacobs area, south of Durban.

“Paramedics arrived on scene to find the factory well alight with multiple casualties. Immediately, multiple ambulances as well as Advanced Life Support Paramedics were dispatched to assist. A triage station was set up and approximately 20 people that had sustained various injuries ranging from minor to critical were assisted.

Also read: Families, children displaced as fire ravages shacks near The Bluff

“A man, believed to be in his thirties, had sustained critical burn wounds and was placed on a manual ventilator by Advanced Life Support Paramedics,” said Jamieson.

Injured workers were transported to various hospitals

He said while the Durban Fire Department tackled the blaze, multiple ambulances treated the patients before transporting them to various Durban hospitals for the further care that they required.

“The fire department is still on site. However, the blaze seems to be under control and is currently dampening down. At this stage, events leading up to the fire are unknown. However, the SAPS are in attendance and will be investigating further,” he added.

Environmental stalwart calls for a full investigation into the factory fire

The environmental stalwart, Desmond Dsa, for South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) said some of the workers employed at the factory escaped when the fire erupted.

“The smoke also affected the residents of the Jacobs Hostel. People driving through Chamberlain Road and Milner Street complained of coughing from the smoke in the air. Four people were treated for burn wounds while others were treated for inhalation.

“We had two major fires in close proximately to each other indicating a lack of oversight by the regulator as far as air quality, safety and emergency as well as fire, is concerned. These companies should be thoroughly investigated to ensure compliance with their scheduled trade permits. If the independent investigations finds there is no compliance they should be held accountable and the full book of the law thrown at them. How long must the residents of South Durban pay the price for irrational companies who continue breaking the law,” said Dsa.

Attempts to get a comment from the management of the factory were unsuccessful at the time of going to press.

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