Navotas, Philippines — From an aerial shot by the Obando MDRRMO, thick smoke can still be seen coming from the Navotas Sanitary Landfill.
This is the result of an ongoing underground fire beneath the pile of garbage, nearly a week after a major fire broke out at the site.
One of the most affected areas by the hazardous smoke is the residents of Obando, Bulacan, where some have already been evacuated to evacuation centers.
The municipality has also recorded several individuals who were brought to hospitals.
Areas in Quezon City, Caloocan, and Malabon are also affected by toxic haze.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is also assisting in firefighting efforts, has completed a new access road connecting to the Navotas Sanitary Landfill.
This will allow heavy equipment to enter the area for the continuation of soil cover operations over the 44-hectare landfill site.
According to the Navotas local government unit (LGU), backhoes, bulldozers, dump trucks, and dredgers are continuously entering the landfill to help immediately stop the toxic gases coming from the old dumpsite.
They are also continuing the dumping of excavated soil to cover methane gas, which is believed to be the source of the fire.
The local government earlier clarified that the old Navotas Sanitary Landfill is not owned by the city government, as it is privately owned.
Aside from soil covering, the LGU and various government agencies are also conducting misting, firefighting operations, and other measures.
The Department of Health (DOH) continues to remind the public to wear N95 and KN95 masks in areas currently recording “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” Air Quality Index levels.