A fire, apparently of criminal origin, that broke out late this Monday morning at the Teresopolis mega-range, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, covered the entire city in dense, almost unbreathable, poisonous smoke. .
Classes have been suspended in at least 35 schools and 18 municipal kindergartens, shops and factories have decided not to open, and local authorities have urged the public to wear masks while the situation persists.
Social media posts from residents of Teresopolis, which is 97 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro and has 185,000 inhabitants, reported on Monday morning that it was difficult to breathe both indoors and out on the streets and that the nauseating smell from burning all kinds of waste were very intense.
Motorists have posted photos from inside their cars showing that they have no visibility at a distance of two meters, making driving on the streets and roads of the region even more dangerous.
Firefighters were called at 5:20 am local time (9:20 am in Lisbon) and sent a large number of vehicles and manpower to the landfill, which receives thousands of tons of domestic and industrial waste and is actually called the Fisher Sanitary Landfill.
Teresopolis City Council said in a statement that it has evidence that the fire was deliberately set, it is guaranteed that all medical facilities will remain open, even those most affected by the smoke, to serve the public, and asked for people who can support in their homes.
There is nothing to do but fight the blaze, which is difficult given the type of materials that are burned in the fire, and wait for normal winds in this mountainous area to blow the smoke in the other direction, officials said. taking it away from the city center.
It is a matter of time, perhaps just a few hours, until the situation is more controlled and the air more breathable, authorities said, which confirmed that in some parts of the city it was necessary to help people who became ill after inhaling the smoke.
Author: Domingos Grilo Serrinha This Correspondent in Brazil
Source: CM Jornal
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