Normality Returns To Montague Gardens After Chemical Spill Triggers Evacuations

Normality has been restored in Montague Gardens following a chemical spill that caused alarm across the Cape Town industrial hub on Monday.

The incident released a thick orange gas cloud into the air, prompting evacuations and the temporary closure of nearby roads. Motorists travelling along the N7 reported a strong, acrid smell as the plume drifted over the freeway, while images of the scene spread rapidly on social media.

City of Cape Town officials later confirmed the cause of the incident, explaining that the dramatic cloud resulted from a chemical reaction inside a large storage tank. One person was taken to hospital after suffering burns and breathing difficulties.

Chemical Reaction Behind Montague Gardens Gas Cloud

City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse detailed what led to the alarming scenes.

“So that was actually an exothermic reaction between the nitric acid and the phosphoric acid, and that was in a tank, which was a 10,000-litre tank. At the time, the contents were about only 6,000, and that actually gave off that reddish brown colour plume of smoke that everyone saw yesterday,” he said.

The reaction produced the dense orange-brown cloud that many road users and nearby residents described as resembling something from a science fiction film.

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According to Carelse, emergency teams acted swiftly to stabilise the situation, allowing the area to return to normal.

He confirmed that the affected premises have since been handed back to business owners, with no further risk to the surrounding community.

Authorities have reassured the public that the situation is under control and that operations in Montague Gardens are continuing as usual.

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