Three people were taken to hospital following a huge toxic spill from a leaking tanker on the N1 north of Pretoria, Tshwane emergency services said on Saturday night.
Spokesperson Johan Pieterse said 21 000 litres of nitric acid spilled from a tanker truck that had stopped at the Panorama Petroport and tollgate on the N1.
The spill happened at about 3pm on Saturday.
”Three employees from the Petroport and tollgate were taken to Montana hospital after they were affected by the fumes,” He said.
Nitric acid is a highly toxic chemical used for cleaning steel and metals. If it comes into contact with water it turns into acid.
Pieterse warned anyone who might come into contact with the spill to seek immediate medical attention when experiencing after-effects like drowsiness or headaches.
The road was opened to traffic by Sunday morning, Tshwane Emergency Services said. The road was been closed to traffic and everyone, including animals evacuated.
”There’s a huge cloud of reddish smoke across the freeway. We evacuated the area in a 2km square radius because that’s what the books tell us we must do. We evacuated the cows too … we just sent them further into the fields.”
He said traffic on the N1 has been re-routed.
”We closed the N1 on both sides — from the Wallmanstahl ramps in the north to the Doringpoort offramp in the south.”
The road — which underwent a massive clean-up operation on Saturday night — would not be open until late on Sunday night at the earliest.
”It’s a huge spillage, it’s going to take a long time,” Pieterse said.
”The core response team has neutralised the spill with lime and will then clean it up.”
About 40 officials from emergency services, police, metro police and environmental agencies were on sight.
He said a possibility of sabotage had not been ruled out.
”When we came to the truck the valves were found open. We’re not really sure what happened there.”
Pieterse said the driver, who was taking the load to Zambia, told them the truck started leaking while he was on the N1.
”He said he had contacted his bosses, who told him to find somewhere to stop and check it. He stopped at the Petroport, where the massive leak happened.”
The driver was not harmed. — Sapa