Durban port crane fire extinguished; investigations under way, no injuries reported

A crane at D Berth in the Point Multi-Purpose Terminal at the Port of Durban caught fire on Monday night, but the blaze was extinguished and no injuries were reported, according to IOL.

What happened

According to IOL, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) says investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire that broke out on Monday night at D Berth within the Point Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT) at the Port of Durban.

IOL reports that TPT said all affected stakeholders were informed, and that operations in the affected section resumed approximately an hour after the incident. The statement added that the fire was successfully extinguished and that no injuries were reported.

“The Durban Multi-Purpose Terminal can confirm that terminal operations were temporarily affected on the evening of June 22, 2026 for approximately an hour due to a fire incident at D Berth,”

Eyewitness accounts and footage

According to IOL, videos of the blaze began circulating on TikTok at about 9:30 pm, with nearby residents sharing their experiences of the incident. In the footage, flames can be seen engulfing the base of a crane positioned alongside a vessel at the berth.

IOL says witnesses reported hearing multiple explosions; one resident said she heard about eight explosions. Another resident from the Umbilo area told IOL that smoke from the fire forced them to close all their windows and doors.

Context: previous port fires

According to IOL, this incident marks yet another fire incident at the Port of Durban. IOL reports that in 2022 a fire broke out inside a container in the stacking area at the Durban Container Terminal’s Pier 2 facility and that the blaze spread to three other containers within the stack. IOL also says that, according to reports, another fire involving a container from the same consignment broke out at Pier 2 just days later.

IOL notes a further previous incident in 2021 when a fire occurred at Durban’s Grain Export Terminal in the Maydon Wharf precinct. In all these incidents, IOL reports, Transnet has stated that the causes of the fires are still unknown and under investigation.

Next steps

According to IOL, investigations by TPT are under way to establish the cause of the D Berth fire. No further operational or safety details were provided in the reporting.