Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia has toclose many schools due to worsening air quality triggered by more choking smokefrom forest fires.
The number of hot spots in parts of Sumatra andBorneo islands has been on the rise despite some rain, Indonesia’s weatheragency said, warning that residents should be on alert for smog.
A total of 1,547 hot spots, which indicate firesor heightened risk of fire, were detected in six provinces, the agency said,adding that smoke from the blazes may affect more provinces depending on thewind direction.
Some schools which had reopened after airquality improved shut again this week.
For months, Indonesia has deployed thousands of personnelto fight the fires, utilising dozens of aircraft to conduct water bombing andcloud-seeding efforts to trigger rain.
Indonesia’s disaster agency last month said itexpected the arrival of the rainy season to end the fires, which have affectedmore than 320,000 hectares of forests./.
VNA