Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]
A potentially catastrophic incident unfolded in Bulawayo’s Belmont industrial area on Wednesday morning when a fire sparked by the unsafe packaging of dangerous chemicals during transportation led to a chemical spill.
The incident, which occurred around 9:30am, saw the swift deployment of four fire engines from the Bulawayo Fire Brigade department.
Their prompt action was crucial in extinguishing the inferno and preventing a potential explosion that could have devastated the surrounding buildings, according to Bulawayo chief fire officer Mr Mhlangano Moyo.
The fire resulted in a chemical spill covering approximately 780 square metres of land in front of Acol Chemicals and Techiad Products companies.
Specialists were called in by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to neutralise the contaminated ground.
A Chronicle news crew visiting the site the following day observed teams from the Fire Brigade and EMA working diligently, some wearing protective masks due to the lingering strong odour of the chemicals.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proper transportation and storage of dangerous chemicals. The quick response of emergency services and environmental specialists averted a major disaster in Bulawayo.
“We responded to a call that a truck had just burst into flames carrying an assortment of chemicals destined for Acol Chemicals. Poor packaging of the chemicals caused the explosion and the truck didn’t have the proper specifications for carrying this chemical. Trucks that carry explosives have signage showing that they are carrying explosives so that when the brigade arrives in such fire incidents we would be able to determine what has caught fire,” said Mr Moyo.
“For this one, we didn’t have any warnings. It was a simple removal truck without mentioning that it was carrying hazardous chemicals. Upon arrival, we realised that we could not use water but foam, which is a special agent for putting out special fires like this.”
Mr Moyo commended his team’s swift response for containing a potentially devastating fire at the Belmont industrial site. He revealed that it took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to extinguish the flames, requiring the deployment of four fire engines.
Mr Moyo stressed the seriousness of the incident, highlighting that the responsible transport company will be fined for failing to adhere to safety standards. He said the chemical spill, a consequence of improper packaging, could have resulted in a much larger disaster.
“Imagine if there was no swift reaction the whole industrial area could have gone up in flames. But with the prompt reaction, we managed to contain the fire. Chemicals are dangerous and we have roped in EMA and other specialists to assist us, we are now trying to neutralise the chemicals. We are now at an advanced stage of neutralising the ground and already the environment has been affected,” he said.
Mr Moyo expressed concern over the large crowd drawn to the fire scene as onlookers were unwittingly putting their lives at risk by inhaling potentially harmful fumes.
His concern was echoed by EMA Bulawayo provincial manager, Ms Sithembisiwe Ndlovu.
“In terms of the effects of such incidences, the chemicals can cause irritation of the skin, eyes and even respiratory problems and some are even corrosive. We realise that this incident happened where there is a lot of movement of people and we encourage people not to move around the place and not to get in contact with soil that has been affected,” said Mr Ndlovu.
“So now we have a chemical response company Spill Response Purity that is working on the remedial actions in terms of cleaning the area. So far they have managed to neutralise the soils. They have applied lime so that they neutralise the soil and remove it on site so that it is treated off-site.”
She said to ensure public safety, EMA will then impose penalties on the companies involved for flouting regulations.
“EMA Act compels people to license their vehicles when they transport hazardous substances. In this case, you will realise that the company that was transporting the hazardous substances was not licensed. They flouted the regulations as well. In terms of packaging, they had different types of chemicals that were packed in one container, so we encourage companies handling hazardous substances to ensure that they package compatible chemicals. So that we don’t experience such reactions with chemicals that are not compatible,” she said.
– @nqotshili
Online Reporter