Durban - An environmental scientist has warned that the fumes from the worst fire to hit Durban in 40 years could affect people with heart and respiratory conditions as well as young children.
Professor Rajen Naidoo, an expert on occupational health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said the biggest concern was that those with pre-existing respiratory conditions, who live in surrounding areas, would be affected by the smoke inhalation.
“The levels of pollution would have been highest at the point of fire and surrounds. The other concern is what was burning. If it was primarily plastic vapour, then this could be a serious problem depending on the level burnt. It could also have long-term side effects on those who inhaled the vapour.”
Naidoo said the firemen needed special care due to the levels of inhalation they were exposed to and the long hours working to douse the fire.
“All need to be assessed and treated accordingly. eThekwini Municipality has a great occupational health department so hopefully they already have been.”
More than 90 firefighters, three water carriers and 12 fire engines were part of efforts to stop the fire.
eThekwini’s fire chief, Enock Mchunu, said they had worked overnight to contain the fire. “It’s one of our biggest incidents. This is considered to be one of the biggest warehouses in the eThekwini region. We’ve minimised chances of the fire spreading because we managed to stop it at a critical point.”
#DurbanFire Day 3 | 10.30am Sunday morning update from South Coast Road pic.twitter.com/fk6Vyhr4Ts
— Sunday Tribune 🗞 (@SundayTribuneSA) March 26, 2017
David Poverello, a manager at the CWT-ASI warehouse, next door to the Sannar Investment warehouse where the fire started, said they had not been aware of the fire for at least 30 minutes before they got a phone call from people at the Transnet building to evacuate.
The CWT-ASI business stores, imports and exports copper products, sodium, sulphur and zinc oxide, among other products. They had managed to save products.
Poverello said the first warehouse had been undergoing repairs and said a cutting torch was suspected to have ignited the fire.
#durbanfire good luck to the fire fighters. This is a huge one! pic.twitter.com/gMQTi83cm6
— Diaan (@HeliHoodlum) March 24, 2017
Veterans Alfred Newman and Anthon Swardling, who have been fighting fire disasters for 24 and 30 years respectively, said it was the worst fire they had experienced.
Spokesperson Molatwane Likhethe said Transnet was investigating the cause and costs. - Additional reporting by Nabeelah Shaikh