Chemical spill forces evacuation in Montague Gardens

The City of Cape Town has confirmed that a hazardous chemical reaction, involving nitric acid and phosphorous acid, triggered a major emergency response and mass evacuation in Montague Gardens on Monday.

Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse stressed that no explosion occurred, despite early reports suggesting otherwise.

“There was no explosion – it was a chemical reaction,” Carelse said in response to media enquiries. “Yes, it was nitric acid and phosphorous acid.”

The incident occurred at about 3.30pm on Monday, when Fire and Rescue Services responded to calls of smoke emanating from a facility operated by Ecowize in Montague Gardens.

Carelse said the first responding officer immediately identified the incident as chemical-related and initiated emergency protocols.

“Apart from evacuating the building, an isolation area was established as well as a 300-metre containment area,” he said.

Specialist hazmat technicians were deployed to the scene to assess the reaction and any potential escalation.

“The hazmat technicians arrived on scene and conducted a visual inspection to verify any thermal signatures and chemical reactions,” Carelse said. “They were wearing fully encapsulated suits in order to work in the prevailing conditions.”

Emergency medical services treated four people on site, while one person was transported to hospital for further treatment, according to the City.

At the height of the incident, authorities urged nearby businesses and members of the public to take immediate safety precautions.

“For now, we reiterate our call to the public to steer clear of the area, to not drive through the plume and to keep doors and windows closed, and switch off their air-conditioning units,” Carelse said.

By 7pm, Fire and Rescue Services confirmed that the situation had stabilised.

“The hazmat technicians completed their assessment of the chemical incident at Ecowize in Montague Gardens,” Carelse said. “The temperature of the container at the centre of today’s reaction has started stabilising. As it cools down, the chemical reaction will stop.”

He confirmed that the vapour cloud had dissipated, the building had been ventilated and the site was declared safe.

“The building has been ventilated and handed over to the owners,” Carelse said, adding that the premises were officially cleared once hazmat technicians were satisfied that the area had been sufficiently ventilated.

While the City said it was unable to provide technical detail on the specific dangers of the chemicals involved, nitric acid is widely recognised as a highly corrosive industrial chemical commonly used in fertiliser production, metal processing and laboratory applications. It is typically a clear to yellowish liquid with a sharp, pungent odour and is classified as hazardous due to its strong oxidising properties and ability to cause severe chemical burns.

Exposure to nitric acid, particularly through inhalation of fumes, can irritate or damage the respiratory system, while spills may react with metals and other materials, releasing toxic nitrogen oxide gases. For this reason, incidents involving suspected nitric acid releases are treated as high-risk hazmat events, requiring controlled access, specialist equipment and strict safety protocols.

In a statement, Ecowize confirmed that an incident had occurred at one of its Montague Gardens facilities and thanked emergency services for their swift response.

“Emergency services and the relevant authorities responded immediately and are currently managing the situation,” the company said. “The safety of our employees, contractors, and the surrounding community remains our highest priority, and we are fully cooperating with all emergency and regulatory teams.”

The company said all necessary precautionary measures had been implemented and that further updates would be provided once authorities had concluded their assessment.

No further injuries were reported, and the City confirmed the incident was resolved after the site was declared safe and handed back to the owners.

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