Teams are working to contain the diesel spill in the Umbilo River after a fuel tanker crash on Monday on the M7.
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Environmental specialist teams are racing against time to contain a diesel spill in the Umbilo River following a serious multi-vehicle collision at the N2/M7 interchange near Edwin Swales on Monday morning.
Southern Star Logistics (SSL) confirmed on Tuesday that one of its contracted 50-ton fuel tankers, which was transporting diesel, overturned after being struck by a copper transport vehicle.
According to preliminary reports and video footage, the incident occurred when the copper transport vehicle allegedly suffered brake failure on the interchange. The vehicle impacted the side of the SSL tanker, causing the tanker to flip and slide several metres from the initial point of impact.
Despite the scale of the crash, SSL confirmed there was no fire or loss of life.
It added that there is “no indication that the SSL driver contributed to the cause of the collision,” the company said in a statement.
“The matter remains under formal investigation by authorities, and SSL is fully cooperating.”
The SSL tanker driver, the driver of the copper transport vehicle and the security guard travelling with him were all taken to hospital. SSL confirmed that their driver has since been released without serious injury, while they remain in contact with the other affected parties.
The trucking company said authorities are primarily concerned with containing the diesel that escaped from the tanker during the rollover.
A portion of the fuel entered the nearby Umbilo River, prompting an immediate large-scale cleanup operation.
Specialist response teams, including Drizit Environmental and Spill Tech, have been deployed to the site. "These teams have been working continuously on containment, recovery, and remediation. Initial assessments indicate that contamination levels are currently considered to be limited and manageable," SSL reported.
Clean-up operations and environmental monitoring are expected to continue over the coming days to ensure the rehabilitation of the river and surrounding soil in compliance with environmental authorities.
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