24 workers hospitalised after ammonia leak at Ekurhuleni chicken plant - IOL

Twenty-four workers have been hospitalised after an ammonia leak at Festive Chicken in Olifantsfontein, Ekurhuleni.

Twenty-four workers have been hospitalised after an ammonia leak at Festive Chicken in Olifantsfontein, Ekurhuleni, left several employees suffering from respiratory distress.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the facility on 17 Industria Road.

The City of Ekurhuleni’s Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) said it responded after the incident was reported to the city’s Life-Threatening Call Centre.

Firefighters from the Olifantsfontein Fire Station were dispatched to the scene to provide emergency assistance.

DEMS spokesperson Eric Maloka said firefighters found several employees experiencing respiratory distress upon arrival and immediately requested medical assistance.

Paramedics attended to and treated the affected workers at the scene.

“A total of 24 patients were subsequently transported by ER24 and Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) emergency medical services to nearby hospitals for further medical attention,” Maloka said.

Maloka said preliminary information indicated that routine maintenance work had been conducted at the facility from about 6am.

“At around 16:23, one of the pressure-release valves reportedly experienced a technical failure, resulting in employees inhaling ammonia fumes,” he said.

All personnel were immediately evacuated from the plant as a precautionary measure.

According to the site’s engineering manager, the highest ammonia concentration recorded during testing was 222 parts per million (ppm).

Maloka said subsequent testing conducted at about 7.45pm showed that ammonia levels had dropped to zero.

“Following the successful intervention and confirmation that ammonia levels had returned to zero, employees were given the go-ahead to return to work,” he said.