Two employees at the city dump off Tonique Williams-Darling Highway were injured after scrap metal scavengers started a second fire at the landfill, Environment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett said over the weekend.
The latest fire, which started on Friday, has ignited a new round of health concerns for those who live and work in the area.
The minister said firefighters were able to get the blaze under control, however, the fire is still smoldering in pockets of the dump.
“Scrap metal scavengers entered the property and set a fire. We were able to contain it within a relatively short period of time,” Dorsett told The Nassau Guardian on Saturday.
“Unfortunately we had some employees who were injured because one of the trucks turned over. One of the men had to be hospitalized.”
Dorsett did not know the extent of the employee’s injuries but he said the man has since been released. The other employee did not require hospitalization. The circumstances surrounding the accident are also unclear.
The second fire comes as another blaze, which began earlier this month, raged on and off for more than two weeks. Dorsett said that fire has also been contained.
He noted that the government is painfully aware of the need to find a workable solution for the ongoing problems at the dump and is working to address the issue.
