Illustrative photo (Source: EPA/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – Dozens of people havebeen taken to hospitals for respiratory problems due to thick smoke caused byforest fires in Aceh province of Indonesia.
Some schools in Meulaboh city suspendedclasses on July 26 after fires destroyed 70 hectares of forests in the provincelast week.
The country’s national disaster agencyrecommended people monitor their cultivation land and not reclaim and burnforests. It also warned of an escalating risk of forest fires as the dry seasonis expected to continue for several months.
There are about 180 forest fire hotspots insix Indonesian provinces, significantly lower than in 2015.
Last year, studies by the US’s Harvard andColumbia Universities estimated that the 2015 smog outbreak may have causedmore than 100,000 premature deaths.
Forest fires occur mainly on Indonesia’sSumatra and Borneo islands with the haze blanketing many parts of the country,affecting public health and triggering crisis with neighbouring countries likeSingapore and Malaysia.-VNA
VNA
