Council awaits results of air quality tests from last week’s fire in Durban

THE eThekwini municipality is awaiting the results of an air quality test from the massive fire that engulfed the city.

Yesterday some residents said they could still see small flames and smoke from the fire at the Rossburgh warehouse that broke out last Friday.

Black soot with a waxy texture had fallen on cars and homes, and in pools across eThekwini, but the city said no major health concerns had been raised with them.

“The city received very few complaints from residents regarding health implication concerns from the smoke. However, sampling of the air quality was done and is being analysed in a laboratory in Johannesburg. The city is awaiting the results,” said municipal spokesperson Tozi Mthethwa.

Desmond d’Sa, chairperson of South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, said the results would be “open to interpretation and questioning”.

At the first of a series of community meetings in residential areas, held on the Bluff, he insisted his organisation should be on the task team investigating the incident.

“If we are not, we won’t be comfortable with the outcome. Our big ask is that NGOs and community organisations be invited to participate.”

The fire at a warehouse storing wax panels, plastic and lucerne had about 150 fire fighters working in shifts to contain the blaze from spreading to a fertiliser warehouse, which could have exploded.

“There were multiple known and unknown chemicals, in various forms and large quantities compounding the situation. Investigations of the cause of fire are still under way. It is premature to discuss if any action will be taken against the company,” said Mthethwa.

Nkosana Jafta of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s occupational and environmental health department told the meeting that illnesses would not show up immediately.

Also raised was the lack of an evacuation policy for residential areas in the industrially dense south of Durban.

“The chemical companies have plans for people inside (their premises) to protect themselves and their workers. There is no plan for people who live outside those facilities,” said d’Sa. “The city needs to take us seriously.”

A resident said the warehouse should have had a 24hour security officer who could give information on what materials were being stored.