3 dead, 270 displaced after fuel pipeline fire in KZN

At least 270 people from 130 homes in Clairwood, Durban, have been displaced following a fire at a Transnet fuel pipeline in the area.

The fire is believed to have been the result of a an attempt to steal fuel by perforating the pipeline and siphoning the fuel into a waiting tanker, according to a statement from the provincial department of Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).

The fire apparently broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning at Horseshoe Road, Clairwood. IT was swiftly brought under control by fire and rescue teams, who later found three bodies, who are believed to have died as a result of the fire.

Cogta said that, “As a result of the fire, 270 people from 130 households residing at the nearby informal settlement have been temporarily displaced and the disaster management teams are working together with social partners to provide interim relief to the affected.”

The department has called on residents to avoid tampering with hazardous installations such as fuel pipelines, and implored law enforcement agencies to apprehend the syndicates responsible for fuel pipeline thefts.