Cape Town factory closed down
2013-02-15 14:32
Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has temporarily closed
the Global Gases factory where two men were killed in an explosion, it said on
Friday.
"After the joint inspection that was conducted by
the authorities yesterday [Thursday], a prohibition order was issued to the
management that the facility will be shut down," disaster risk centre
spokesperson Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said.
A team of specialists from the city, together with the
labour department and police investigated Wednesday's blast.
A notice was issued to conduct emergency repair work on
the building, to make the area safe.
The notice was issued in terms of the National Building
Regulations and Building Standards Act.
Solomons-Johannes said a private service provider, Comp
Air, had been contracted to repair a compressor at the factory, in the Atlas
Gardens industrial park. Around 16:00 a compressor and gas cylinders exploded,
ripping out the windows and sections of the corrugated iron roof.
Technician Martin O'Connor was killed and Global Gases
technical supervisor Saji Thekkemalayil Chandrasekharaan lost a leg.
He died in hospital overnight.
Chandrasekharaan had been in the country on a valid work
permit.
Two others were recovering in intensive care.
Contractor Brandon Pretorius had both legs amputated and
was in a critical but stable condition. Jean Rossouw was serious but stable.
The city's fire and rescue services spokesperson Theo
Layne said four others sustained minor injuries.
- SAPA