India, March 31 -- A massive fire broke out on vacant land in Sector 47, long plagued by illegal waste dumping, on Sunday around 6.30pm, with smoke continuing to affect residents until Monday afternoon, fire department officials and residents said.

Residents said the blaze erupted on open land near residential housing and a private school, prompting a call to the fire department around 6.30pm. However, they alleged delays in response worsened the situation.

"The fire tenders arrived late, by which time the blaze had intensified and spread rapidly. The smoke soon engulfed the entire area. When fire officials reached the spot, the intensity of the fire was so high that they had to source water from nearby housing societies," said Prasanto...