6,000 evacuated due to fire in tyre dump in Spain

Madrid, May 14: Around 6,000 people were evacuated from their homes between Friday night and Saturday morning as the result of a fire in a massive tyre dump near Spanish capital Madrid. The fire in the locality of Sese, 35 km from Madrid, began at around 1 a.m. on Friday morning, producing a huge black cloud, reported Xinhua news agency. Around 6,000 residents of the El Quinon estate, which is situated virtually next to the dump, have been evacuated as a result of the smoke. The police reported that 80 percent of the residents were able to leave under their own means, while a fleet of buses was mobilised to help move old and sick residents. It is estimated the illegal dump contains around 100,000 tones of tyres and although the fire has been contained to a perimeter, it was still out of control. There were no casualties as a result of the fire, but the smoke is considered to be a health hazard given that it contains high levels of hydrocarbons. (IANS)