Health fears after fire at capital landfill site

A FIRE that broke out at the New England Road landfill site in Pietermaritzburg on Monday night continued to emit acrid smoke yesterday, raising health concerns and causing two schools in Scottsville to send pupils home.

The principal of St John’s Diocesan School for Girls, Simon Moore, said because of the toxicity of the fumes, the management had decided to send the pupils home. Because there were boarders, they could not tell them to return the next day.

A meeting would be held today to decide if the school should reopen tomorrow or on Monday. He said the decision was a precautionary measure.

The deputy principal of St Charles College, Graham Stewart-Burger, said when they saw the huge cloud of smoke yesterday morning, they decided to give parents the option of taking their children home because it was unknown when the smoke cloud would clear.

Residents complained about the stench, saying it made their eyes burn and water. Some said it made them sick while others had developed bad coughs.

The divisional officer of the Msunduzi fire department, Lincoln Pennells, said the fire was under control, but it would take some time before it was completely doused .

“This is a dump, it is a couple of metres deep. We have to use a bulldozer to go right down and then put in sand and water.”

He said there were two fire engines at the site.

A spokeswoman for the non-profit environmental justice service and developmental organisation groundWork, Megan Lewis, said the site handled general waste, which included recyclables as well as organic and garden waste.

“Fires at landfill sites are more common than reported on, and they are a severe health risk to those working at the site and people living near to the landfill.”

sharika.regchand@inl.co.za