A 200-kilogram blue-sealed container with dangerous chemicals was discovered at Jongensfonteinstrand on the South Cape Coastline.
Jongensfonteinstrad residents warned to AVOID blue sealed container
In a statement, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) confirmed that a Garden Route Fire and Rescue Services patrol team stumbled upon a large blue sealed container at Jongensfonteinstrand, near Stilbaai, on the Western Cape’s serene South Cape Coastline.
Weighing approximately 200 kilograms, the container’s presence on the beach prompted immediate action from local disaster risk management teams.
The Disaster Risk Management (DRM) of the Garden Route (GRDRM) swiftly confirmed that the container, filled with hazardous chemicals, posed no immediate risk to the public.
Plans were made to securely recover the container by a specialised Hazmat (Hazardous Materials) Fire and Rescue Services team on Saturday, 30 March 2024.
While the discovery of this single container was worrying enough, GRDRM raised concerns about the possibility of three additional containers still adrift at sea or potentially making their way to shore.
Given that such containers are usually transported in sets of four, the risk of more hazardous material washing ashore remains a pressing concern.
Authorities have issued warnings to boaters and the general public to avoid any contact with these containers and to report sightings immediately to GRDRM or the National Ambulance Emergency Service.
The source of the blue-sealed container, as well as its intended destination, remains unclear.