Union slams negligence after factory gas leak hits Durban school

Umbilo Secondary school pupils had to be medically treated due to an alleged gas leak from a nearby factory. The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) has lashed out at what it termed industrial negligence in South Durban, following a traumatic “multiple casualty incident” that saw dozens of learners needing medical treatment on Thursday. The reaction comes a day after Umbilo Secondary School in Wentworth was evacuated due to an alleged gas leak.

At least 36 learners were treated by paramedics, with some reportedly suffering seizures and others collapsing after toxic fumes from a neighbouring factory infiltrated the school premises. NAPTOSA KZN’s Thirona Moodley issued a scathing statement on Friday, marking the incident as a “serious violation” of the constitutional right to a safe environment. “The health and safety of our learners must always remain a top priority,” Moodley said.

“We call for an urgent and thorough investigation into the cause of this incident. Those responsible must be held accountable, and appropriate legal consequences must follow for the factory concerned.” The union has demanded that the Department of Health exercise “strong oversight” to ensure air quality standards in the industrial basin are maintained. ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson confirmed that emergency teams worked to stabilise multiple students suffering from respiratory distress before transporting the most serious cases to nearby hospitals.

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The incident has once again turned the spotlight on the South Durban Basin, an area where residential homes and schools are sandwiched between refineries and chemical plants. Residents have complained for years about the “toxic soup” of chemicals they are forced to breathe. While the school was closed and evacuated yesterday as a precaution, the focus has now shifted to accountability.

NAPTOSA warned that measures must be implemented immediately to prevent a recurrence, stating that the community has raised these concerns “for many years” with little resolution. The KZN Department of Education had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.

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