The firefighting operation includes about 15 fire tenders from Coimbatore, Erode, and Tiruppur districts, 20 water lorries, and heavy machinery such as excavators and JCBs, manned by over 100 firemen and over 500 support personnel.
Coimbatore: A major fire outbreak occurred at the Vellalore dump yard on Saturday night, continuing to rage for the second consecutive day. Over 100 Fire Brigade personnel and several hundred Rescue personnel are working tirelessly to extinguish the fire that began around 6:30 pm near the vermicompost centre within the Vellalore landfill premises.
Coimbatore District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati and Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran have visited the site to expedite efforts on a war footing. The firefighting operation includes about 15 fire tenders from Coimbatore, Erode, and Tiruppur districts, 20 water lorries, and heavy machinery such as excavators and JCBs, manned by over 100 firemen and over 500 support personnel.
Meanwhile, drones are being used to monitor the firefighting efforts closely and to prevent the fire from spreading. Although it is speculated that high mercury levels in the city might have triggered the fire, there has been no official confirmation from the district administration or the Corporation.
The smoke billowing from Vellalore has caused discomfort to residents and motorists alike. For over a decade, the Vellalore community has been calling for the relocation of the dump yard to mitigate health hazards and prevent such fires.