Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2014 13:32:59 GMT 7
PRAEKSA GARBAGE SITE FIRE
Smoke from garbage dump fire blankets part of Eastern Bangkok
The Nation March 17, 2014 11:35 am
Hundreds of families in nearby communities were evacuated to escape smog caused by a massive fire at a garbage disposal site in Samut Prakan.
Thick smoke has blanketted Bang Na and surrounding areas after a huge fire broke out at a garbage dump in Soi Praeksa 8, Bang Pu district, Samut Prakarn province on Sunday afternoon.
Officials from Pollution Control Department rushed to the area to check the pollution level of the site.
Hundreds of families living near the dump last night including those in Saensuk Cooperatives housing estate and Thanyaporn housing estate were evacuated to a centre and nearby communities as the polluted smokes engulfed the area. The evacuation continued on Monday to escape the haze.
While firefighters have been able to bring the blaze under control, they estimate that it will take another few days to totally extinguish the fire,
The fire started at about noon on Sunday. The massive blaze caused black smoke and smog in the air, affecting people living nearby.
Paithoon Maisarnklang, 51, the leader of Moo 4 Praeksa Community, said he had been evacuating residents of his community to stay at the Tambon Praeksa multi-purpose building, which has turned into an emergency shelter.
Pol Col Wichit Boonchinwutthikul, commander of Bang Pu police station, said police were planning how to extinguish the fire.
He said patrol police and rescue workers were also dispatched to help evacuate people living near the garbage disposal site.
Wichit admitted that it was difficult to control the blaze and it might take days to extinguish it.
Samut Prakan Governor Kanit Iamrahong has sought help from a private firm to send bulldozers to fight the fire.
The Tambon Praeksa Administrative Organization said it would recheck the license of the owner of the garbage disposal site.