Hanoi (VNA) – Thousandsof people in Indonesia prayed for rain in haze-hit towns throughout Sumatra andBorneo islands as forest fires raged at the height of the dry season, Antaranews agency reported on September 11.
Thousands of people in Pekanbaruof Riau province in Sumatra held Islamic prayers for rain outside thegovernor's office. Many of those taking part wore face masks to protectthemselves from the smoke.
Similar prayers were held intowns in Kalimantan on Borneo island, where air quality has been at unhealthylevels and schools forced to close.
Fires have burnt through partsof Sumatra and Borneo islands for more than a month and the Indonesiangovernment has sent 9,000 military, police and disaster agency personnel tofight the flames.
Indonesian authorities are using37 helicopters and 239 million litres of water bombs to attack the blazes,while aircraft were seeding clouds in the hope of generating rain.
The country’s disaster agencysaid 5,062 fire "hot spots" had been detected in six Indonesianprovinces, as of September 11 morning.
Endro Wibowo, deputy policechief of the town of Sampit in Central Kalimantan province, said his team wasworking around the clock to put out the fires.
Indonesia has been facing asevere dry season induced by El Nino that triggered drought and forest fires inseveral provinces this year. Wildfires occur in Indonesia in every dry seasondue to traditional burning practices in agriculture to clear landfor palm oil and pulp plantations./.