Lapoš landfill fire in Kula sparks criminal complaints

The Lapoš landfill in Kula, Serbia, has been burning for three days, producing thick smoke and odors that have spread throughout the municipality. Local residents and activists report significant difficulty breathing due to the toxic fumes.

Miloš Milin of the Glas mladih Kula organization stated that the situation is critical, noting that firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze without adequate protection against toxic inhalation. He highlighted a pattern of recent landfill fires in Sivac, Crvenka, and Kula.

In response to the crisis, the Glas mladih Kula group and a council group have filed criminal complaints against Vesna Tomić, head of the Emergency Situations Staff, as well as environmental inspectors. The complaints allege that officials misled the public by failing to measure dangerous pollutants, such as heavy metals and furans, focusing only on PM 10 particles during air quality assessments.