Flames at waste mound doused;residents still affected by smoke

: Residents in many parts of the city continued to experience breathing difficulties for the second consecutive day Sunday due to smoke emanating from a nearby plastic waste mound that caught fire, official sources said.

The fire was doused by Saturday evening, but a thick blanket of smoke continued to rise from the mound at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant.

The Ernakulam district administration advised people who faced breathing problems to seek medical assistance, which they did.

Collector Muhammed Y Saffirulla urged people not to panic.

The district administration officials said the situation has been brought under control.

Official sources said there were no casualties, but firefighters took several hours to control the blaze that broke out at the plant Friday evening.

The fire-tenders and the Navy had taken part in the operation that concluded Saturday.

The incident occurred days after a massive fire at a footwear showroom and godown near the South railway station here damaged the stocks.