Car explodes into paint factory
An accident at the intersection of Griffiths and Jet Park roads, in Boksburg North, set Luxor Paints Company's factory yard alight on Saturday, August 10.
According to Lieut Juanita Coetzer, spokesperson for the Boksburg North SAPS, the alleged vehicle was driving along Pretoria Road, towards Elandsfontein station, lost control and took out a traffic light pole, and then drove into the fence of the Luxor Paint Company.
“There were drums with flammable fluids that were against the fence, they caught fire and exploded,” she says.
Ekurhuleni EMS spokesperson William Ntladi, says all fire stations in the northern region were on the scene because of the risk involved, to avoid the spread of the fire to the entire factory.
“The 200l of substances in the factory yard were highly flammable, we needed to use all our resources to contain the fire,” he said.
As soon as the fire broke out, it spread, causing a raging inferno. Paramedics quickly called for assistance from the Boksburg North Fire Department, who arrived shortly after.
Ntladi says it took firefighters over five hours of wrestling with flames before the scene was declared distinguished.
A motorist who passed the scene the next morning, said the fire brigade was still on the scene putting out the fire.
Chris Botha, spokesman for Netcare 911, said balls of fire were shooting a hundred metres into the night sky.
According to the factory owner, who doesn’t want to be named, the drums in the factory yard were filled with resin and solvent, which is the substance used to manufacture paint.
“The entire factory is 18 000sq/m, and has been standing for 11 years; I’m devastated,” he said.
No one was injured.
The motor vehicle was a total burn out, and the unknown driver was not at the scene.
