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Beaches north of the uMngeni River, up to Salt Rock, remain closed as a precautionary measure due to a spill resulting from a chemical warehouse in Cornubia being torched during the recent unrest.
The eThekwini (Durban) Municipality states, “The public is advised to refrain from all recreational activities, including fishing or surfing, swimming, bait collection and picking up of dead species. Collecting or harvesting of any marine living resource in the area is temporarily prohibited, as they have been exposed to toxic chemicals and could be harmful to human health.”
The Metropolitan Municipality adds that this warning and temporary closure of beaches remains in place until the threat has been determined to be abated.
According to the government entity, results of samples taken are due back from specialist laboratories next week, after which authorities will reassess the temporary closure of the beaches and related activities. The municipality’s communication unit says, “The public are asked to be patient and comply with requests from authorities. Any inconvenience is regretted however the safety of the public is of utmost importance.”
A chemical clean-up company has been appointed to clean up the spill, as well as any contamination. Specialised clean-up crews are on-site to deal with the collection and disposal of dead species responsibly.
Authorities are continuously monitoring the area to determine the extent of the impact of the spillage. Thus far, there has been fish kill in the oHlanga estuary and its adjacent beach area, with dead species found up to uMdloti Beach.
The public is also urged to report any further contamination or fish kill to 083 253 6618. During office hours, the Environmental Health Unit can also be contacted on 031 311 3555 to report any pollution matters or complaints.
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