WESTERN CAPE. — Three people have died and 12 others were treated for injuries on Tuesday afternoon after a chemical incident on a farm north of Herolds Bay, near George. Fire-fighters from the Garden Route district municipality assisted the George municipality on Tuesday afternoon to bring the incident under control.
Marais Kruger, executive mayor of the municipality, said the numbers were confirmed earlier by police. He expressed his condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the three deceased. According to information from the first people on the scene, farm workers were apparently cleaning a large storage tank containing a mixture of chemicals, including phosphoric acid, when the incident occurred. Several workers who attempted to help also developed breathing problems. Some were treated at the scene, while others were transported to nearby hospitals.
The remains of the deceased were decontaminated by George's fire-fighters before forensic pathology services removed their bodies. Chemical absorbent materials were spread over the affected area to cover and contain the hazardous liquid. The scene remains cordoned off while the cleanup process continues. Municipality fire-fighters were to return this morning for final decontamination and sanitation.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
