SIBU (Aug 10) The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) is working to contain the spread of an underground fire at the closed Seng Ling dumpsite here, said its chairman Clarence Ting.

He confirmed that the fire has not yet been extinguished.

“Will continue to fight the underground fire till it is over. Now (we are) only containing the spread,” he told The Borneo Post today when asked if the fire had been extinguished.

On Friday, a check by The Borneo Post at the site found thick smoke billowing from the affected area.

Ting had earlier said the dumpsite has been burning since July 30.

“This dump site has been closed since 2010 for household waste and the land has been handed back to the Land and Survey Department,” he said then.

He added SMC was working with Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) to permanently close the dumpsite and works should start by the end of the year.