Hundreds of guests were evacuated from a popular Durban hotel following an electrical fire on Wednesday morning.
The plumes of smoke, visible from miles away, were caused by an electrical fault with a transformer at the Blue Waters Hotel on Durban’s beachfront.
eThekwini Metro Fire municipal acting divisional commander Justin Bateman said that it appeared that a pipe with cooling oil from a transformer had burst and dropped onto hot elements, but when the emergency power activated, it caused the vapour from the oil to explode, causing the fire.
Regan Stander from National Emergency Assist Services said that two people were treated for smoke inhalation and one person for shock.
Bateman said that police officers attending a conference at the hotel helped to evaluate the 209 guests as well as staff.
Comment could not immediately be obtained from hotel management.
Neighbouring blocks of apartments and hotels had their power restored after a few hours.
The 11,400 volt transformer, owned by eThekwini municipality was being inspected by officials from the municipality’s electricity department while guests, some of whom were still in their pyjamas, waited to be allowed back into the hotel.
Bateman said that three firemen were near the transformer when the vapour exploded.
“The doors blew off the transformer room. Thank God. It could have been bad,” he said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
