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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

Tangerang landfill fire causes 154 respiratory cases, prompts emergency response

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A fire at the Jatiwaringin Landfill in Tangerang, Indonesia, has been burning since June 30 and caused 154 residents to suffer respiratory illnesses.
  • The fire, suspected to be caused by hot weather, has led to evacuation orders for 102 residents and prompted government intervention.
  • Efforts to extinguish the blaze are ongoing, with the local government declaring a disaster emergency response status.

A persistent fire at the Jatiwaringin Landfill in Tangerang Regency, Indonesia, has been raging since June 30, forcing the evacuation of 102 residents and causing significant health impacts. The blaze, which has yet to be extinguished, has blanketed the surrounding area in hazardous smoke, leading to acute respiratory tract infections (ISPA) in 154 residents, according to the Tangerang Regency Health Office.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, but preliminary suspicions point to hot weather conditions igniting the vast waste pile, which reaches heights of 20-30 meters. Environmental group Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) has attributed the incident to systemic failures in waste management. The central and regional governments are now involved in tackling the crisis, with the Tangerang Regency Government declaring a Disaster Emergency Response status.

The exact cause will be investigated after the emergency situation is successfully controlled.

— Ministry of EnvironmentRegarding the investigation into the cause of the Jatiwaringin Landfill fire.

Extinguishing efforts are complex due to the scale of the fire and the height of the waste. The Ministry of Environment is deploying resources, while the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is using helicopters for water bombing. Attempts at cloud seeding for artificial rain have been hindered by technical requirements. The Ministry of Environment has stated that a thorough investigation into the fire's origin will commence once the immediate emergency situation is under control.

Up to now, joint off

— Abdul MuhariHead of Data, Information, and Communications Center for Disaster Management of BNPB, on the number of evacuated residents.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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