ArcelorMittal South Africa has announced that on Saturday, February 9, a fire occurred at its Vanderbijlpark plant, causing extensive damage to its steelmaking facilities and resulting in their immediate shutdown. No injuries were reported.
According to the company's statement dated Monday, February 11, once detailed assessments of the damage and required repairs have been carried out, the potential loss of sales and estimate of the time required for repairs will be determined. Assistance from other ArcelorMittal Group plants is being sought to establish alternative sources of supply in order to mitigate the negative impact on customers.
ArcelorMittal South Africa will issue a letter declaring force majeure within the next 24 hours.