Fire Erupts Again at Lefka Garbage Dump

A fire has broken out once more at the garbage dump in Lefka. The blaze, which first started on June 27, has not been fully extinguished.

Lefka Mayor Aziz Kaya stated that the initial fire at the landfill began on June 28. After ten days of reclamation efforts, the fire was reduced and brought under control. However, intense heat caused the flames to flare up again with renewed intensity. Since yesterday, the municipal team has been battling the fire.

Mayor Kaya mentioned that the municipality had previously requested help from state institutions due to the risk of the situation deteriorating at the landfill. However, no assistance has been provided.

“The crawler bulldozer from the Ministry of Agriculture was requested both before and after the fire, but our request went unanswered, even though the vehicle stood unused for several days at the Güzelyurt-Mevlevi junction. This resulted in delays in the reclamation work, and the post-fire operations could not be completed as planned,” said the mayor.

He further explained that garbage from the Güzelyurt municipality, accumulated since the pandemic, was transported to the Lefka landfill over a period of about three months.

Additionally, the site is used for waste disposal by regional military units, the Lefka municipality, and garbage trucks from the European University of Lefka.