Cape Town - Chaotic and emotional scenes unfolded at the Sigma Connected SA offices in Diep River as staff were seen outside struggling to breathe after toxic fumes entered via the air-conditioning system at the call centre.
The incident saw 1 700 Sigma Connected SA staff members evacuate the building.
Some of the employees were treated on the scene, while a few were taken to hospital.
Life Emergency Services’ Facebook page updated: “Hazmat Incident – Mass Casualty. Leo Street, Elfindale. 1 700 people evacuated after accidental exposure to toxic fumes; 29 patients were treated on scene, 16 of whom were transported to hospital with minor to serious complications.”
A witness, who refused to be named, said: “It was quite bad. Around 1pm on Wednesday afternoon, I saw a lot of people walking from the building across to the parking lot. And then a few minutes later, there were ambulances and then law enforcement officers.
“I could see that people were not well. It was such an emotional scene to watch. The workers were evacuated because of the fumes. I only saw two people who were taken away by the ambulance to hospital. It became chaotic as the people were struggling to breathe.
“All the day shift workers were sent home and the night shift arrived when it was quiet. Yesterday, when the Cape Argus team arrived at the call centre, it was business as usual.”
According to Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Charlotte Powell, on Wednesday afternoon some employees said they were not feeling well before the evacuation.
“The building was evacuated as a precaution after some staff complained of feeling unwell. Numerous individuals received medical treatment, but have all been discharged. The cause of the incident is under investigation by the company in question, as it is an Occupational Health and Safety matter.” Powell said the source of the fumes was not located.
“The Fire Service indicated that the building was ventilated, and no substances were detected when they conducted readings.”
A Sigma Connected spokesperson said the evacuation was part of their safety procedures.
“Following an issue with fumes entering our air-conditioning system at the Leo Road office in Diep River, in line with our safety procedures we evacuated the building immediately to ensure the safety of our staff.
“A small number of staff were treated in hospital as a precaution and we will be conducting a full investigation alongside our landlord and building maintenance partner to understand the cause and prevent any further issues.”
Department of Health and Wellness spokesperson Megan Davids confirmed provincial EMS were on the scene and treated around 40 patients.
“Of these, 10 patients were seen and treated at Victoria Hospital before being discharged and six were seen and treated at Groote Schuur Hospital before being discharged.”