South Africa’s Department of Employment and Labour is investigating an incident at an Astral Foods facility that left two people dead and led six more people to be hospitalized.
The incident occurred on January 8 at the waste disposal site, which is part of the company’s Klipheuwel poultry complex but separate from the main plant. The workers reportedly developed breathing difficulties there, according to a report from News24.
Department of Employment and Labour acting spokesperson Mokgadi Pela confirmed that the incident had been reported to the agency, but had no further comment until investigators completed a preliminary report.
Astral Foods told the news outlet it was working with relevant authorities on the investigation, adding that the tasks being carried out that day were not normally hazardous.
"Astral is committed to determining the root cause of the accident to prevent any future occurrences of such an incident," the company stated
"It is unclear at this stage what the cause is. Subsequently, the pit has been declared safe in conjunction with the fire department following the incident. A thorough cleaning of the area has been undertaken and any preventative action determined from the investigation will be immediately implemented."
Astral Foods said it was offering support and counseling for all affected employees and their family members.
Astral said it was "disturbed and saddened" by the loss of life, adding that its "heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the employees".
"All the necessary resources are being committed to the investigation, and support, as well as counselling, are being provided to all affected employees and family members."
Astral Foods is the largest poultry producer in Africa and the 35th largest in the world. According to the WATTPoultry International Top Companies survey, it slaughtered 280 million broilers in 2021.
As a feed producer, Astral ranks as the 109th largest globally.
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