Property damage and business interruption

18.9, fire

South Africa: the Island View oil depot in Durban caught fire and quickly spread to three storage tanks in the vicinity. The tanks later exploded. It was not immediately clear how the fire started. According to early reports a road tanker caught alight near Island View berth 4. One man was reported missing and feared to have died in one of the fireballs that enveloped a large section of the terminal. Later reports suggested that as many as eight storage tanks were damaged or burned out after the fire. Thousands of dead fish were later found floating in the water after chemicals were released into the harbour during efforts to fight the blaze. Port authorities were accused of hiding behind the National Key Points Act by not releasing information on what chemicals were contained in the storage tanks affected by the explosions. A Water Affairs and Forestry Department spokesperson said the water was released to prevent chemicals, which were floating on the water, from getting into the surrounding area and storm water drains.