Smoke engulfs Alandur after fire in dump yard

Five fire tenders and half a dozen Metrowater tankers were pressed into service to douse the fire in the densely populated area. No human casualties were reported till late Sunday evening.

The fire was noticed around 2.30 pm near Gandhi Market in Alandur by traders. They immediately informed Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services. The fire spread in no time and thick black smoke covered the area, creating breathing trouble for residents and motorists on GST Road, the police said.

Police sources said that it was a pond two decades ago and was slowly converted into a dump yard over the years. The police suspect that someone would have set the garbage on fire to check if there were any copper wires dumped there. The fire might have gone out of control, leading to the incident.