Residents in some parts of Harare woke up to thick smoke following a huge fire from a dumpsite located in the city's Pomona suburb.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a huge ball of smoke rising "out of Vainona Pomona 200 metres above ground which could be seen from as far as Mt Pleasant".
Charlene Hewat, chief executive at environmental group Environment Africa, went to investigate after noticing the smoke billowing from the Pomona Quarry.
"The entire dumpsite was engulfed in heavy thick black smoke pouring into the morning air. It looked like heavy black storm clouds and to agitate the fire further, the morning came with strong gusting winds.
"I do not have details as to how the fire started. One of the people who have worked at the quarry for many years says that every year there are fires at the dumpsite, but this fire is the largest she has ever seen," Hewat said.
She said the smoke was so thick that cars could not drive through the area as the visibility was zero. Fire trucks attended, together with a team from Civil Aviation Authority.
"A pall of thick smoke still hung over the suburbs surrounding the dumpsite by Sunday night," Hewat added.
It was not possible to get a comment from the Harare City Council, however other press reports quoted town clerk Tendai Mahachi, who visited the Pomona dumpsite, as saying the fire was started by a mentally challenged man around 2am.
According to the reports, the same man was chased away from the site last week when he started another fire which was eventually controlled.
Speaking Sunday Mahachi said:"The fire is huge and fire tenders are battling to put it out. Dumpsite fires are difficult to fight as they start again the moment you think you have put the situation under control. We hope the situation would be under control by Monday morning."
Fires are quite common at the Pomona dumpsite. In 2007, the City of Harare and Environment Africa teamed up to extinguish one blaze which had been burning for two weeks, leading to fears that neighbouring residents were inhaling toxic fumes.
Charlene Hewat, chief executive at environmental group Environment Africa, went to investigate after noticing the smoke billowing from the Pomona Quarry.
"The entire dumpsite was engulfed in heavy thick black smoke pouring into the morning air. It looked like heavy black storm clouds and to agitate the fire further, the morning came with strong gusting winds.
"I do not have details as to how the fire started. One of the people who have worked at the quarry for many years says that every year there are fires at the dumpsite, but this fire is the largest she has ever seen," Hewat said.
She said the smoke was so thick that cars could not drive through the area as the visibility was zero. Fire trucks attended, together with a team from Civil Aviation Authority.
"A pall of thick smoke still hung over the suburbs surrounding the dumpsite by Sunday night," Hewat added.
It was not possible to get a comment from the Harare City Council, however other press reports quoted town clerk Tendai Mahachi, who visited the Pomona dumpsite, as saying the fire was started by a mentally challenged man around 2am.
According to the reports, the same man was chased away from the site last week when he started another fire which was eventually controlled.
Speaking Sunday Mahachi said:"The fire is huge and fire tenders are battling to put it out. Dumpsite fires are difficult to fight as they start again the moment you think you have put the situation under control. We hope the situation would be under control by Monday morning."
Fires are quite common at the Pomona dumpsite. In 2007, the City of Harare and Environment Africa teamed up to extinguish one blaze which had been burning for two weeks, leading to fears that neighbouring residents were inhaling toxic fumes.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment