South Africa’s oil and gas logistics firm Transnet has reported that it has shut down its underground pipeline in Durban which caught fire after a botched fuel theft attempt.
The inferno that ensued is reported on Sunday to have killed three and forced hundreds of local residents to flee their homes.
The explosion from the botched fuel theft attempt which occurred about 3 am according to local authorities has caused several people to suffer smoke inhalation.
Reports also have it that Firefighters, paramedics, police, and metro police have responded to the scene and were able to put out the fire.
According to a Transnet spokesperson, the company has shut down its Pipelines National Operations Centre immediately and activated the emergency response plan.
The company also disclosed that there has been an unprecedented spate of fuel theft incidents on its pipelines and other associated infrastructure during the last two years.
The state-owned oil and gas firm while disclosing that the inherent dangers of tampering with high-pressure petroleum pipelines, which has often resulted in a fire and other asset damage, as well as environmental incidents, with high remediation costs, added that it would continue to work with law enforcement agencies to stop this criminal activity and keep the pipelines and surrounding communities safe added that.
