Fire broke out in a landfill site maintained by Vellore Corporation near Otteri lake in Vellore.

Police said that it was around 5 a.m. when a few residents complained of eye irritation due to thick smoke coming from an open dump yard on the outskirts of the town. The area was dotted with large godowns that store plastic waste and recycle them.

Based on an alert, Bagayam police and firefighters rushed to the spot and found a group of men consuming liquor after they set fire to the dumped garbage. As they saw the police, the gang fled the spot. The fire was doused after more than two hours of effort.

Following the incident, police have increased surveillance at isolated spots in the area to prevent such accidents. Further probe is under way.