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Toxic smoke over the Cerro Patacon landfill in Panama
Photo: Luis Acosta / AFP
A huge fire at Panama's largest landfill has produced a plume of toxic smoke that is now sweeping over residential areas on the outskirts of the capital.
As the Central American country's fire department announced, the fire broke out on Monday evening at the Cerro Patacón landfill in a suburb of the capital.
The extinguishing work could take about a week, firefighter Eduardo Escobar told Telemetro.
The plume of smoke, which can be seen from several locations in the capital, is "highly toxic," Escobar said.
"But we can't do anything about the smoke." According to the local meteorological institute, the toxic cloud is moving south at a wind speed of around 22 kilometers per hour.
The authorities warned of the toxic gases.
Children and the elderly in particular, as well as people with a weakened immune system or heart problems, should not be exposed to the smoke, which can lead to serious breathing problems.
At least five firefighters reportedly suffered from smoke inhalation.
Opened in 1986, the landfill dumps more than half of the garbage from all over Panama.
Hundreds of people scour the trash every day looking for metals or glass to sell.
There is also a slum nearby.
The landfill operator Urbalia asked the authorities to investigate a possible criminal background to the fire.
ala/dpa