Durban – An elderly grandmother and her grandchildren were evacuated from their Wiest Road flat after the roof of their flat caught fire on Friday morning.
It is believed embers from the fire at Engen Refinery fell onto the roof.
Community activist and head of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, Desmond Dsa, said he went the scene where the family was evacuated.
KwaZulu-Natal EMS spokesperson, Robert Mckenzie said emergency services attended to the flat fire and the blaze was extinguished.
He said no injuries were reported.
Mckenzie said the fire at the refinery took place at around 7am.
He said the cause was unknown and teams were investigating.
"No one was injured as a result of the explosion. However, six people were treated for smoke inhalation. All emergency services are currently at the scene," he said.
Meanwhile, ALS paramedic Garrith Jamieson, dismissed claims people had died in the fire.
In a voice note, a person claims there were fatalities and families were being called to identify bodies.
Workers at the scene said they felt a massive shake when the explosion took place.
Other residents from various parts of the city said their windows vibrated. Some as far as Pinetown said they felt the explosion.
IOL