Twenty-one workers were hospitalised after a fire broke out at Novo Food Packers in Paarl, just three days after another blaze killed nine workers at a factory nearby, Western Cape police said on Tuesday.

Captain Louise Duplessie said the fire started on Monday night at around 8pm at the cold storage facility of the packaging company. No one was seriously injured, but workers were treated for smoke inhalation.

"The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage but forensics will do an analysis on Wednesday. The damage caused was yet to be determined," she said.

All 21 people have since been discharged from hospital.

On Friday, nine employees at a media printing factory Paarl Media died following a blaze. Eleven others were seriously injured.

Duplessie said the damage was estimated at R500 million.

The factory is about three kilometres away in the same industrial area as Paarl Media.

Commenting on the latest incident, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said the frequency of fatalities and injuries at workplaces was a clear indication that employers were not taking the health and safety of their workers seriously.

"While we can be grateful that no lives have been lost, it is still shocking and angering that this kind of incident can happen at such frequency in one area.

"Workers go to the workplaces to make a living, not to die. No business or employment is worth the lives of workers," he said.

Mdladlana said labour inspectors, who together with fire-fighters were at the scene within minutes of the fire starting,, were on Tuesday morning still trying to establish the possible cause of the fire.

He wished the injured workers a speedy recovery.

Sapa

RSS
Digg
de.li.cious
facebook
Voter's guide: education School Check out our voter's guide to see where the ANC, DA, IFP and Cope stand on education.
Part of the furniture Mangosuthu Buthelezi When it comes to SA's political living room, Mangosuthu Buthelezi is part of the furniture.
Election Focus An election ballot For the latest election news, features, profiles and more, check out our Election Focus page.