Cape Town - The explosion that occurred at Astron Energy's Milnerton refinery in the early hours of Thursday morning which resulted in the death of two people has been labelled a "terrible tragedy" by the company's CEO.
Astron Energy South Africa confirmed that two employees died, and seven others were injured in an incident at the company’s Milnerton refinery at approximately 4am.
"It is with great sadness that Astron Energy can confirm that two Astron employees died... Seven other individuals were injured, two of which remain in hospital where they are receiving treatment for their injuries.
"All steps are being taken by Astron Energy to support the families, friends and colleagues of the two individuals who tragically lost their lives and those who were injured in the incident." the company said.
News of the deaths and injuries had first been confirmed by the South African Police Service, who posted on Twitter that the cause of the explosion is still being investigated.
The company also confirmed that the incident has been contained and the plant is now stable, but that all work has been stopped. The City of Cape Town's fire and rescue services remain at the scene.
Astron Energy CEO Jonathan Molapo; “This is a terrible tragedy. Our thoughts are with the families of all those affected. Our priority now is to support them, and our colleagues, and to continue to ensure that the plant is completely safe. We will conduct a full investigation of the incident.”
When the explosion occurred, the company said that it had immediately activated its emergency response procedures and notified the relevant authorities.
Cape Argus