Massive landfill on fire in Delhi as India and Pakistan hit by deadly heatwave

Temperatures rise above 40C in the Indian capital and are set to get hotter

The image shared by Delhi Fire Service shows the extent of fire at the landfill in New Delhi, India (Delhi Fire Service)

With temperatures reaching 42C in Delhi, residents woke to the news on Wednesday that a major fire had engulfed one of the capital’s mountainous rubbish dumps, sending thick black smoke across the city.

The fire at the sprawling Bhalswa site to the north of the capital — one of three mega-landfills servicing the city— began on Tuesday, creating hazardous conditions for workers who had begun the dangerous process of salvaging garbage from the fire.

Fire engines rushed to the site and have been battling the blaze at the landfill since, Atul Garg, the director of Delhi Fire Services, told The Independent.