(Jamaica Observer) Thick plumes of smoke covered large sections of the Jamaican capital yesterday as a fire at the Riverton City Landfill raged for a fourth day, posing a health risk to tens of thousands of residents.

The severity of the smoke hazard resulted in the Ministry of Health advising residents of Kingston and St Andrew and sections of St Catherine, particularly those living in the immediate vicinity of the Riverton Landfill, to take the necessary action to protect themselves until the fire and associated smoke are brought under control by emergency teams engaged by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).