The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has dispatched a team to contain a cyanide spill between Otjiwarongo and Otavi.
This follows two trucks colliding about 10km north of Otjiwarongo on the B1 road on Thursday.
One of the trucks belongs to Coleman Transport, which was transporting 26 000kg of sodium cyanide bags from the Port of Walvis Bay to the B2Gold mine.
Due to the danger of cyanide, the Office of the Environmental Commissioner dispatched a team from the ministry’s Otjiwarongo office to conduct a site inspection.
This was announced in a statement the ministry released on Thursday.
“Only one bag was slightly damaged, releasing solid sodium cyanide (NaCN) blocks onto the ground – approximately 0.05% of
the total load.
“There was also fuel leakage from the tanks of both trucks, which spilled onto the ground,” the statement reads.
Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical compound that occurs as a white, water-soluble solid.
It is commonly known for its toxicity and is used in the extraction of precious metals such as gold and silver.
The ministry says the company responsible for the spill was required to contract a clean-up company, and a response team is currently clearing the site.
Ministry officials are also present to inspect and monitor the ongoing clean-up.
The chief scientist under the commission’s office responsible for the waste management and pollution subdivision
was deployed to assess the extent of the chemical spill in terms of environmental and public safety.
In addition to the ministry’s team, a private company called Haszkem Namibia CC, specialising in chemical spill management and clean-up, was called in to help with the clean-up process.
The B2Gold health, safety, and environment team also rushed to the scene with the necessary mitigation measures.
The ministry says all emergency response teams managed to bring the spillage under control and assisted law-enforcement officials in directing road users to mitigate potential impacts.
Ministry of Health and Social Services executive director Penda Ithindi on Thursday said there was no evidence of cyanide spillage and investigations were being conducted to determine such.
Ithindi reassured the public that although the preliminary report indicates that one of the trucks was carrying sealed bags with cyanide bricks, there is no evidence of chemical spillage, thereby no danger to public health.
He, however, urged the public to comply with the authorities’ instructions.
“Public safety remains our highest priority, and all necessary measures are being taken to assess and manage the situation,” Ithindi said.
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