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Toxic Landfill Fire Adds to Misery of Delhi Residents Facing Record Spring Heat Wave

HeadlineApr 28, 2022

In India, acrid smoke hung over the capital Delhi for a second straight day today after a massive garbage dump caught fire. The landfill is taller than a 17-story building and covers an area larger than 50 football fields. Waste pickers who live in nearby homes complained of toxic smoke and fumes.

Udayveer: “I am not able to breathe, and my eyes are burning. We are helpless, but what can we do? We cannot leave our homes and go anywhere else.”

Officials say a buildup of highly flammable methane gas at the dump spontaneously combusted after temperatures topped 44 degrees Celsius — or more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s part of a blistering spring heat wave across large swaths of India and Pakistan that’s seen daytime high temperatures break records.

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