Durban -- A South Durban resident has described how she woke up on Sunday after hearing three explosions.
This comes after a botched fuel theft incident from a Transnet pipeline led to a fire which claimed the lives of three people in Clairwood.
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance’s (SDCEA) Shanice Firmin, said she was woken up at 3.30am on Sunday morning by a series of explosions.
“First, second and third and when I looked out the window, I saw thick black smoke and bright belting orange flames. All I could do was assume it is in Clairwood due to its close [proximity] to my residence,” she said.
Firmin, who is SDCEA’s environmental project officer for development, infrastructure and climate change, said she was no stranger to the growing number of industrial fires that occur in the South Durban basin, having grown up in the area.
“The plume of the thick black smoke moved west towards the Umbilo, Glenwood area and beyond depending on the wind direction for a consistent 15 hours until the blaze was finally put out around 6pm.
“The impact on human health is enormous with most people not aware of the toxic chemical cocktail they have been exposed to,” she said.
Firmin said petrol or diesel contained benzene, a known carcinogen (cancer causing chemical).
THE MERCURY