The Montague Gardens area where an orange vapour cloud hovered over earlier today (Monday 12 January) following a chemical incident has been declared safe after hazardous materials technicians completed a full assessment at the affected business.
At least four people have been treated following the chemical incident with one patient transported to a nearby medical facility for further care.
According to the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, hazmat technicians concluded their inspection at Ecowize in Montague Gardens and confirmed that the situation is stabilising.
“The temperature of the container at the centre of today’s chemical reaction has started stabilising. As it cools down, the chemical reaction will stop,” Carelse said.
Vapour cloud dissipates, area deemed safe
Carelse confirmed that the vapour cloud that formed during the incident has since dissipated and that the surrounding area has been deemed safe for normal activity to resume.
Firefighters ventilated the building as part of the safety process, after which the premises were formally handed back to the owners.
Earlier evacuations and safety measures
Emergency services were initially dispatched to the site after reports of smoke and a visible vapour cloud emanating from the building, prompting evacuations, road closures and safety advisories to nearby residents.
As a precaution at the time, the public were urged to keep windows and doors closed and to avoid the area while emergency crews worked to contain the incident. The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre coordinated the response alongside Fire and Rescue Services, with hazmat technicians monitoring the chemical reaction to ensure no further risk to surrounding communities.
Authorities have since confirmed that all emergency measures related to the incident have been lifted, and the City has thanked residents and motorists for their cooperation during the response.
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