Kendrapada: A fire broke out at a solid waste management plant in Hazaribagicha near Kendrapada town late Tuesday night, blanketing the surrounding 2-km area with thick smoke for over eight hours.While no injuries were reported, the incident raises serious questions about public health risks and safety protocols at the facility.Senior officials from theKendrapada Municipalityand district administration are assessing the damage and investigating the incident. Additional district magistrate Nilu Mohapatra, who visited the site Wednesday, said, “We will investigate the exact cause of fire. Those responsible will face tough action.” Authorities have not yeat disclosed what triggered the blaze.The blaze, which started around 11:30 pm on Tuesday, quickly spread through the facility and the adjacent dumping yard.Two fire tenders battled the flames until 7:30 am on Wednesday before bringing the fire under control. Three rooms of the plant and its machinery were destroyed in the blaze. “Plastic waste piled up at the plant and its nearby dumping ground has gone up in smoke, resulting in toxic fumes choking the area,” said Madhusudan Behera, a resident. Witnesses reported flames reaching 25-ft high, creating panic among locals.Residents of Hazaribagicha, Khadianga, Jayapura, Sunaelo and Ekarakhandi villages had earlier opposed the plant’s establishment. Residents had raised concerns about inadequate fire safety measures and improper waste management practices. “The garbage is being dumped near the road, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire,” claimed Swadhin Parida of Jayapura.