As the inferno at Bhandewadi dumping yard rages into its second day, fear and smoke smother the lives of thousands in nearby Tulsi Nagar and Abbumiyan Nagar. The flames, now expected to burn for at least 8 more days, have unleashed a toxic cloud of hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, and other deadly gases, leaving families trapped in a battle for survival.
“I wrapped my baby in a wet towel, praying it would protect her from the smoke,” said Kalpana Meshram, her voice breaking as she recalled the terror. “We couldn’t open the door—the smoke was already inside. I thought we would die there.” Nearby, Abdul Sheikh, 72, collapsed from suffocation. His neighbors, desperate and without medical help, dragged him out and fanned him with cardboard until he regained breath. “That was the only hope we had,” said Mohammed Javed, who helped.
Children are falling sick at alarming rates. Aarti Wankhede, a local teacher, now spends her days trying to ease the pain of over a dozen children from her class, all battling rashes, sore throats, and severe breathing issues. “We have no medicine. Only water and prayers,” she said, helpless.
The fire, fueled by untreated waste, spread rapidly on Saturday, overwhelming firefighters who were forced to retreat when the toxic smoke proved too much. “We couldn’t breathe even with our masks,” one firefighter confessed. Now, officials are attempting to suffocate the flames by covering the waste with soil.
In Tulsi Nagar and Abbumiyan Nagar, people sleep in shifts, eyes wide open, watching the flames. “We’ve packed our bags,” Rajesh Lokhande said. “If the wind turns, we run.”
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