Fire breaks out at Valampurivilai dumping yard

Fire raging at Valampurivilai dump yard in Nagercoil on Friday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A massive fire broke out at Valampurivilai dumping yard in Nagercoil on Friday morning. Within a few hours, the flame spread to accumulated waste dumped in acres of area.

Upon receiving information, the Fire and Rescue Services department personnel rushed to the spot. Four fire engines and an earthmover were deployed. Thick smoke from the blaze engulfed the area in a 2-km radius making it difficult for commuters. Residents of the nearby areas were irked by the occasional fire at the site and expressed their frustration. Simon, a resident of Vadalivailai, said: “The dump yards are supposed to be located on the outskirts of the city and here the situation is the other way round. Every summer this happens and we are tired of repeatedly requesting the authorities to relocate the yard to the outskirts.”

Nagercoil Mayor R. Mahesh and Corporation Commissioner Nishanth Krishna visited the spot.