Normality restored after chemical spill in Montague Gardens

A dramatic chemical spill in Montague Gardens in Cape Town sent a thick orange gas cloud over the area on Monday, forcing evacuations and briefly closing nearby roads. 

Motorists on the N7 reported a sharp, acrid smell as the plume drifted across the freeway, with images likened to a "science fiction movie" circulating widely.

"So that was actually an exothermic reaction between the nitric acid and the phosphoric acid, and that was in a tank, which was a 10,000-litre tank. At the time, the contents were about only 6,000, and that actually gave off that reddish brown colour plume of smoke that everyone saw yesterday," explains City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse. 

One person was taken to hospital for burns and breathing difficulties. 

Carelse says the area has since returned to normal, and the premises have been handed back to business owners.

To listen to Jermaine Carelse in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, click the audio below: