Indonesia haze pollution spreads to southern Philippines
Haze pollution caused by forest fires in Indonesia has spread to the southern Philippines, obstructing traffic and forcing local residents to wear masks, according to Filipino authorities.
Smoke from forest fires covers Palembang city in South Sumatra, Indonesia. (Source: AFP)
Haze pollution caused by forest fires in Indonesia has spread to the southern Philippines, obstructing traffic and forcing local residents to wear masks, according to Filipino authorities.
According to the Philippines’ aviation authorities, the degree of smoke and dust in Mindanao Island, which is 1,200km away from the forest fires in Indonesia, has worsened in the past week.
Since October 16, two flights have been cancelled and many other flights at the 10 airports on the island have been delayed, affecting thousands of passengers.
Haze pollution in Indonesia has affected a massive stretch of Southeast Asia, increasing the number of people experiencing respiratory problems, forcing schools to close and cancelling or delaying flights.
Many international events have a๊lso been cancelled.-VNA
Indonesia welcomes international support to handle damaging forest blazes in Sumatra and Kalimantan, President Joko Widodo stated in a recent announcement.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs received aid from the Japanese government at its headquarters in Jakarta on October 16 to put out fires and tackle haze problem.
Malaysia has announced school closures in several states and capital city Kuala Lumpur on October 19 due to the prolonged haze crisis caused by Indonesian slash-and-burn farming.
The Indonesian police on October 20 published the names of seven foreign companies and their leaders suspected of causing forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Dense haze from Indonesia spurred by forest fires has resulted in the worst pollution in southern Thailand in over a decade, said Thai authorities on October 22.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Education said on October 22 that all schools in the country that had been closed since October 19 would reopen on October 23, with the exception of schools in four states.
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Smoke from forest fires covers Palembang city in South Sumatra, Indonesia. (Source: AFP)
