Some staff at the SABC Radio Park building in Auckland Park Johannesburg were evacuated on Wednesday morning following reports of a chemical leak.
According to Netcare 911, reports from the scene indicate that a generator on the 15th floor leaked a large volume of diesel fuel.
“Emergency services had evacuated the building, however, it was alleged that a small number of occupants were stuck on the 17th floor who were unable leave due to the intoxicating fumes,” said Netcare 911 in the statement.
Gauteng: A skyrise building on Artillery Rd, JHB has been evacuated due to diesel spillage from a generator. @News24 @Radio702 @jacarandafm @ewnupdates @maroelamedia @eNCA @FatalMoves @_ArriveAlive @IOL @TheCitizen_News @City_Press @mailandguardian @Powerfm987 @Netwerk24 pic.twitter.com/2Xt6b6njZr
— NETCARE 911 (@Netcare911_sa) May 15, 2019
It added that three patients suffered the effects of chemical inhalation and were treated on scene before being transported by ambulance to the hospital for further assessment.
The Fire and Rescue Services were called to the scene to deal with the incident. The SABC said the diesel spillage was caused by power outage.
“There was a power outage earlier this morning which resulted in the SABC’s internal system switching from City Power to the back-up generator. Due to the ageing and failure of the equipment, this led to the diesel tank overflowing,” said SABC in the statement.
“The health and safety of SABC employees are of paramount importance and, as a precautionary measure, all our employees from Radio Park have been safely evacuated.”
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