Firefighters in Astana continue to extinguish a fire at a solid waste landfill in the Baikonyr district, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan reported. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Firefighting operations are being conducted around the clock. To increase efficiency, two sectors have been established where the main forces and resources are concentrated.
At the same time, engineering work is underway at the landfill. The area is being covered with inert material to isolate the fire sources and prevent further spread. To date, about 14,850 tons of inert material have been delivered to the site.
The Ministry noted that firefighting is complicated by heavy smoke and the unstable, loose condition of the stored waste. This limits the passage of special equipment and hinders the maneuvering of large vehicles.
Uninterrupted water supply is provided by fire trucks and water carriers. Water is delivered from a fire hydrant.
About 120 personnel and 150 units of equipment from the Emergency Situations Department and local executive bodies are involved in the firefighting.
The situation is under constant control of the Ministry. Work to fully extinguish the fire continues.
The fire at the landfill in the Baikonyr district started on the night of July 10, with a report received at 00:10. At that time, about 90 people and more than 40 units of equipment were involved, and a temporary embankment about 200 meters long was built on the western side of the cell to deliver inert material to the fire sources.