PMB landfill fire now 'worse', health concerns triggered
A Pietermaritzburg driver says travelling to work on Friday morning was a nightmare.
The N3 in Pietermaritzburg is closed to all vehicles.
Thick smoke from a fire blanketed the area and parts of the busy freeway overnight - with motorists experiencing zero visibility.
The blaze at the New England Road landfill site has been burning since Monday.
Hayfield resident Kyle Raman lives near the dumpsite.
"I literally couldn't see a meter in front on me. Everyone had their hazards on and fog light on, and were crawling in the roads in Hayfields.
READ: Concerns of trespassing on PMB landfill fire site
"Eventually everyone had to use one route far away from the landfill to get to the main roads and it basically took me half an hour to maybe 45 minutes to get from Hayfields into town, " he says.
He says aside from major delays and the risk posed to motorists -- residents are also worried about their health.
"The smell is horrible today. The atmosphere is horrible. The smoke is just blowing into the house in the morning. We are choking, our eyes are burning as usual, and I think it has gotten way worse than yesterday [Thursday]"
"The N3 is closed, many roads are closed, nobody can move and people can't breathe. It's about time that the municipality starts taking this a bit seriously."
