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Indonesia: Wildfire haze blankets Borneo, over 113,000 respiratory infections reported

In Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province, the air quality index (AQI) surpassed 1,100 over the weekend, while Indonesia’s Ministry of Health said more than 113,000 cases of respiratory infections had been recorded in seven provinces since the fires broke out earlier this year.

Smoke rises from a land fire in South Sumatra province, Indonesia (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Smoke rises from a land fire in South Sumatra province, Indonesia (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Jakarta (VNA) – Thick smoke from wildfires is blanketing large areas of Indonesia’s Borneo island, raising health concerns among residents and disrupting daily life and livelihoods.

In Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province, the air quality index (AQI) surpassed 1,100 over the weekend, while Indonesia’s Ministry of Health said more than 113,000 cases of respiratory infections had been recorded in seven provinces since the fires broke out earlier this year.

A thick layer of yellowish smoke has blanketed Pontianak in recent days, forcing the city’s international airport to temporarily suspend operations over the weekend.

Indonesia regularly faces wildfires during the dry season, which typically lasts from July to October. However, the situation this year has been more severe amid forecasts that the El Nino phenomenon could reach its strongest intensity since comparable records began about four decades ago.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on September 16 that firms found responsible for causing the fires would face action, including possible revocation of their operating licenses and further criminal investigations when necessary./.

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