Traffic is being diverted from the Nottingham Road off-ramp onto the R103 in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands after a heavy-duty motor vehicle containing sulphuric acid overturned on Wednesday.

TimesLIVE understands a cleanup team sealed off the road in an effort to contain the spill.

N3 toll concession operations manager Thania Dhoogra said: “From the information we have, only heavy-duty motor vehicles are stacked. A team is trying to contain the extent of the spillage. The lanes will be opened when it is deemed safe.”

She could not be drawn into revealing a time frame.  

“It is largely dependent on how long the team takes. This will also include the recovery of the tanker,” said Dhoogra.

Groundwork SA campaign coordinator Rico Euripidou said sulphuric acid is highly hazardous, especially to any aquatic environment.

“It is also deemed to present a hazard to human health and I imagine the emergency responders are wearing hazmat suits,” he said.

TimesLIVE

She could not be drawn into revealing a time frame.  

“It is largely dependent on how long the team takes. This will also include the recovery of the tanker,” said Dhoogra.

Groundwork SA campaign coordinator Rico Euripidou said sulphuric acid is highly hazardous, especially to any aquatic environment.

“It is also deemed to present a hazard to human health and I imagine the emergency responders are wearing hazmat suits,” he said.

TimesLIVE