Watch: Two ‘suspected criminals’ killed in Durban explosion

The eThekwini municipality has confirmed that at least two people have been killed in the Clairwood area in Durban. That’s after a fire broke out at the Clairwood Industrial park during the early hours of Sunday morning. It’s alleged that criminals were trying to steal petrol at the time.

Also Read – Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg: Who pays more for food?

Durban explosion: Municipality managing fire

Before the municipality could even get their say in, videos began to emerge online of the apparent aftermath of the fuel saga. And the videos make one thing clear, if you mess with petrol, it can go horribly wrong.

Metro Police confirm at least two people are dead after an explosion in Jacobs, south Durban. It’s believed criminals tampered with a fuel line to steal, sparking the blaze. The surrounding area is being evacuated.

: supplied. pic.twitter.com/2ALucBUFpc

— Dasen Thathiah (@DasenThathiah) October 31, 2021

So what exactly happened?

The city says it dispatched emergency personnel to the area this morning, once the blaze broke out.

But before the flames took charge, the city says the main fire was caused after a petrol tanker caught alight. Petrol then got into the nearby river, and that’s how things turned ugly.

“According to our teams on site, fire was caused by a petrol tanker that caught fire. Petrol flowed down to the river and a secondary fire started in the Transnet pipe. As a result, Transnet has closed all its valves.Those within the 500metres radius were evacuated and there are two fatalities that have been confirmed.”

eThekwini Municipality said in a statement

So that’s how the latest Durban explosion took place. Back in August, a fire broke out at a resins factory leading to toxic fumes. Of course, the province also had to deal with several fires as part of the July looting and unrest.

While the fire was under control before 10AM on Sunday morning, residents of nearby areas have been advised to remain indoors to avoid the smoke.