Locals suffer from toxic fumes as fire continues raging at Nakhon Phanom landfill site
Villages and schools near a Nakhon Phanom landfill site were hit by severely toxic fumes after firefighters were unable to put out a fire that started on Monday.
Refuse in the middle of the 70-rai landfill site at Tambon Pho Tak in Muang district caught fire on Monday and firefighters were unable to get to it. As of press time, the fire had covered about 10 rai of the site.
Administrative authorities believe toxic fumes will have reached at least 10 villages in the area, adding that 300 households in the villages of Ban Nong Kha and Bang Khok Kung were worst hit because they were just 2 or 3 kilometres away from the fire.
Also affected were the Ban Khok Kong School and Ban Nong Kha Khok Kung School, and teachers and students were told to always wear face masks.
Teacher Jintara (surname withheld), 58, from Ban Khok Kong School, said her school was only about 6km from the landfill site and the toxic fumes had severely affected students and teachers.
