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April 28, 2022

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