The plastic waste caught fire in Brahmapuram Waste Plant In Kochi. (Representational Image)
A major fire broke out at the Brahmapuram waste plant in Kochi on Saturday morning creating a blanket of smoke in the city. This is the fourth such fire incident in two months.
Mayor Soumini Jain and Congress legislator PT Thomas have demanded an investigation.
The cause of the fire is not known yet. Fire engines are on the spot and trying to douse the flames, Ms Jain said.
"When I came to open my shop around 9 am, there was smoke all around and I faced difficulty in breathing. You can smell the smoke. We were told that this occurred because of the fire at the waste plant," said a shopkeeper at Vytilla.
Panampally Nagar, Maradu and Vytilla have been affected the most by the fire and residents are facing trouble breathing ever since the blaze broke out.
"The plastic waste caught fire and is taking time to be put out. What has baffled us is that the fire broke out from all four sides of the accumulated waste," Ms Jain said.
"We suspect there has been foul play; only a probe will identify the real cause," she added.
PT Thomas said it could be a ploy to divert attention.
"There was a huge fire at a footwear warehouse on Wednesday and now this one. A probe has to be launched to find out if this could be a ploy to divert attention from other issues," he said.
State Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan has asked Ernakulam District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla to submit a report.
"We have been trying to control the fire but it is difficult to go near the blaze," the Collector said assuring that the mission will be accomplished by later on Saturday.
On Wednesday, a massive fire broke out at a footwear showroom and godown in Kochi. The fire broke out in the five-storey building near the Ernakulam South railway station.