Dylan Bettencourt
Umlilo oqubuke epayipini lakwa-Transnet ngeSonto odalwe ukuhluleka kwemizamo yokweba uphethiloli, ushiye abantu abathathu beshonile kwathi abanye abangama-270 baseThekwini bengenamakhaya okwesikhashana.
Abakwa-Transnet bavale ipayipi likaphethiloli ngemuva kokuqubuka komlilo ezingxenyeni ezisempumalanga yedolobha kwavalwa indawo kanjalo nezindawo ezizungezile ukuze kunqandwe omunye umonakalo.
“Ngenxa yalo mlilo, abantu abangama-270 abahlala kwimizi eyi-130 eduzane nemijondolo basale dengwane. Amathimba abhekelela izinhlekelele asebenzisana nosonhlalakahle ukuhlinzeka abantu ngosizo lwesikhashana,” kusho uSipho Hlomuka, uNgqongqoshe woMnyango wezokuBusa ngokuBambisana neziNdaba zoMdabu KwaZulu-Natali.
UHlomuka unxuse iziphathimandla zendawo ukuthi zisebenze ubusuku nemini ukuqinisekisa ukuthi zibabamba izigilamkhuba futhi kuqedwe nokwebiwa kukaphethiloli emapayipini.
Isikhungo sokusebenza sakwa-Transnet Pipelines sithe bavale ipayipi ngokushesha futhi sebeqale uhlelo lwabo lokubhekana nezimo eziphuthumayo.
“Okwamanje kugxilwe ekutheni kucishwe umlilo nokunciphisa umthelela emphakathini nakwimvelo. Sisaqhubeka nokusebenzisana nezinhlaka zomthetho ukunqanda lo mkhuba wobugebengu nokuthi kugcinwe amapayipi nemiphakathi esondelene nale ndawo iphephile,” kusho isitatimende sakwa-Transnet.
Bengeze ngokuthi ukwebiwa kukaphethiloli emapayipini abo kunyuke kakhulu eminyakeni emibili edlule njengoba izigameko zakamuva zilimaza kakhulu hhayi impahla yabo kuphela, kodwa nemvelo, okudale ukulimala nokushona kwabantu abaningi.
“Kuze kube manje, bayi-159 abantu ababoshiwe, kwavulwa amacala angama-254, kwantshontshwa amathangi kaphethiloli angama-57 kanye nezimoto ezingama-54,” kusho isitatimende.
Umthombo wesithombe: @TimesLIVE