Adequate fire and containment systems were in place - UPL

Adequate fire and containment systems were in place - UPL

A company, whose Cornubia warehouse went up in flames during the riots, says it remains committed to efforts to contain the toxic spillage and restore the natural environment that's been affected. 

UPL Chemical Plant in Cornubia burning factory Durban SA Unrest 2
Nokukhanya N Mntambo

UPL says it's a responsibility that it takes very seriously. 

 

Its chemical factory was hit by looters and arsonists last month. 


READ: Dead fish, choking smoke: Collateral damage piles up from burnt Durban factory

 

Over 1 500 crop solution products were torched - triggering massive health and environmental concerns. 

 

Residents, north of Durban, affected by the smoke and fumes, were encouraged to wear two face masks in their homes - while a toxic spill at Umhlanga Lagoon killed fish and other creatures. 


READ: LISTEN: Wear a mask and stay indoors, says toxicologist amid acrid smell in Cornubia

 

UPL, an international company, has released a statement to say that the products stored at the facility were water-based and low fire hazard items. 

 

It says it had adequate fire and containment systems in place to contain a fire and spillages but explains that an emergency response delay exacerbated the flames last month. 


READ: Specialists dispatched to torched Durban chemical plant

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