Massive Mumbai Garbage Fire Visible From Space

A massive fire at a garbage dump in Mumbai, India was so intense it was caught on camera by a NASA Earth observation satellite.

The smoke plume from the blaze is shown in the satellite photograph to envelop much of the city, leaving millions of people exposed to hazardous levels of smog. The fire originated at the Deonar dumping ground, the city’s largest junkpile, and has had a “devastating” effect on air quality in the city, according to a report in  leading daily from Mumbai. In Mumbai 74 schools have had to be temporarily shut down due to the dangerous smog levels. NASA’s Adam Voiland observes that the garbage dump comprises one-third of the city’s waste and “methane, plastic, and other highly flammable substances” have helped fuel the inferno. The cause of the fire remains unknown but some authorities suspect arson.