WATCH: Durban dumpsite fire burns for two weeks

Ward 34 councillor Andrew Akkers says people have been dumping waste at the site in Gum Tree Road for over a decade.

He says they do not know how the blaze began two weeks ago.

Akkers says residents of the surrounding communities are beginning to experience persistent coughing, nausea, and breathing problems.

" All the illegal dumping that has gone on here for the past 10 years, the debris is burning under the ground. The debris is believed to be 17 meters deep. So, 17 meters of debris have been burning and smouldering for the past two weeks. Disaster management, fire department and pollution control have been out."

WATCH: Fire breaks out at SAB in Soweto

He says firefighters, who remain on site, can’t reach the source of the blaze which is burning deep beneath a steep and unstable embankment.

" They can't get their vehicles to the fire because they said the ground is unstable. They're afraid if they do try and flood it, the communities further down, there'll be a landside, and the communities will be affected. So, they'll have a mudslide should they try and flood it with water."

eThekwini Municipality says quality specialists are working around the clock to reduce the smoke from the illegal dumpsite.

The City says a multidisciplinary team is focused on easing pollution and restoring air quality as quickly as possible.

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