Fire during riots exposes environmental impact of improperly stored agrochemicals

By Rebecca Trager2022-01-24T13:53:00

An image showing a cleaner removing dead fish from the uMhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve in Durban

Source: © Guillem Sartorio/AFP/Getty Images

UPL accused of illegally storing hazardous chemicals that were released after arson attack at South African warehouse

Civil unrest is probably not at the top of most firms’ lists of significant vulnerabilities for chemical facilities, but that might change after uprisings in South Africa last year. For over a week in July 2021, rioters looted buildings across KwaZulu-Natal and set them on fire, including a warehouse of agrochemicals producer UPL in Cornubia, north of Durban.