The authorities of the Indonesian province of Java declared a state of emergency on Friday after a fire that has been raging in a landfill for several days and has released dense smoke that has already caused the hospitalization of local residents.
Since Tuesday, the fire has been spreading in the Sarimukti dump, where waste from the city of Bandung, with 2.5 million inhabitants, accumulates.
At least 30 firefighting vehicles tried to contain it without success, the fire spread to an area of 25 hectares and the work of the firefighters is hampered by high temperatures and strong winds.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the region for a period of 21 days, according to Hengky Kurniawan, head of the West Java province.
Affected by the toxic fumes, at least 67 local residents developed minor respiratory infections and two people were hospitalized, a hospital source said.
Students at an elementary school located six kilometers from the fire were advised to stay home, the director of the educational establishment said.
The main cities of the province of Java, the most densely populated island in the Indonesian archipelago, do not have the modern infrastructure necessary for waste treatment.
Source: TSF
