3 People Killed in Transnet Pipeline Fire after Attempted Fuel Theft in Durban

• Three people lost their lives on Sunday morning after a botched attempt to steal fuel in Clairwood, Durban
• The attempted theft resulted in a tanker truck fire and secondary pipeline fire breaking out, which forced the company to shut down local operations temporarily until it was extinguished
• Multiple emergency services were dispatched to extinguish the fire, including the Fire Department and the South African Police Services

DURBAN - Transnet, SA's port and pipeline company, was temporarily shut down on Sunday morning when three people were killed in a fire.

The fire broke during an attempted fuel theft in the suburb of Clairwood in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, near an informal settlement.

In a statement issued by the firm, the Transnet Pipelines' operations centre was closed down immediately and emergency protocols were put into place following the fire, according to a report by EWN.

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Transnet stated that investigations into the blaze and an assessment of the damage caused by the fire will be determined after the fire had been completely extinguished. The main focus was to ensure that the fire did not heavily impact the environment and nearby neighbourhoods.

According to TimesLIVE, various emergency services, such as eThekwini Disaster Management, the South African Police Services and the Fire Department, were dispatched to extinguish the flames.

eThekwini municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela, says a petrol tanker catching fire is the cause of the fire that killed three people. Fuel then flowed from the tanker into a neighbouring river, causing the second fire in the Transnet pipeline.

Transnet looks for private investors for infrastructure reasons

Briefly News previously reported that Transnet recently stated that it would be putting a request through for information (RFI) regarding private sector investors. This will be with regards to its Durban port as Transnet is looking to broaden the facility within the next 10 years.

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On Monday, CEO Portia Derby said that the entire project would cost them around R100 billion but that the group would not be able to pay that. Board Chairperson Popo Molefe stated that although they are looking for private partners for the infrastructure, this does not mean they will privatise the group.

According to EWN, Transnet wants the Durban port to become a 'super terminal'. This means it will be handling large vessels which will also assist in improving efficiency. The group will only be able to put R3.5 billion into the project.

Source: Briefly News