Durban - The smoke billowing from Durban Harbour on Thursday afternoon was due to a smouldering incident on a vessel.
The Transnet National Ports Authority said it occurred on a registered bulk carrier vessel, M/V DE SHENG 1, which docked at the Maydon Wharf Precinct on December 20.
“The suspension of operations on the bulk carrier follows the discovery of smouldering in the vessel cargo hold of plywood used to support cargo (soda ash) on board the vessel.
“The incident was reported on Thursday, 29 December 2022, and the vessel is currently put on lockdown, pending further investigations into the matter.
“The crew on board the vessel has been safely evacuated with no reported injuries,” said Transnet.
It said affected customers and stakeholders had been notified of the incident and its impact on port operations.
Transnet National Ports Authority’s Fire and Emergency Services, Marine Safety, Port Control and the eThekwini Fire Department were dispatched to closely monitor the situation and provide the appropriate relief.
The port said it welcomed the support it had been receiving from the industry and was constantly monitoring recovery to ensure minimal impact on operations while not increasing the cost of doing business.
“TNPA Port of Durban has invoked Business Continuity Management in order to monitor environmental pollution and any disruption to operations.”
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