Toxic haze from Indonesian wildfires kills thousands

Summarised from 2 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 30 Oct, 09:34 · Archive

Smoke from forest fires killed 3,560 people in Indonesia in September, with about 58 million exposed to unhealthy air.

Severe wildfires sparked by drought have engulfed Indonesia in toxic smog for months, disrupting daily life across the country. Schools have closed and businesses are struggling. The crisis has also raised pollution levels in neighbouring countries including Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and East Timor.

According to a report released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, toxic smoke from forest and land fires killed 3,560 people in Indonesia in September. Another 1,750 deaths came from chronic emissions from urban and industrial air pollution sources. Air pollution-related deaths surged by 42 per cent in September, rising from an estimated 3,740 in August to 5,310.

The study found that around 58 million Indonesians were exposed to unhealthy to hazardous air quality in September, a record peak. The worst-affected regions were Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, where toxic fire smoke accounted for 94-99 per cent of air pollution-related deaths, and Sumatra, where it caused more than 80 per cent. In Kalimantan alone, the number of citizens exposed to hazardous-level air nearly tripled from 2.8 million to 6.4 million during the worst days of the month.

The Indonesian government has faced criticism over its response. It has deployed more than 72,000 people for cloud-seeding and firefighting operations, activated more than 2,100 doctors and health workers in hard-hit areas, and distributed 5.3 million masks.

How it is being reported

• Smoke from wildfires killed 3,500 people in Indonesia in September: ReportPersistent wildfires sparked by drought have enveloped the region in smog.Al Jazeera · 30 Oct, 08:20
• Fire pollution killed 3,560 people in Indonesia in September, report saysThe same month, about 57.8 million people in Indonesia were inhaling unhealthy to hazardous air, according to a new study.The Japan Times · 30 Oct, 06:37
• Indonesia rain set to ease toxic haze in Singapore and MalaysiaThe choking haze from Indonesia's worst fire season in years has cloaked local towns and drifted across neighboring countries for weeks.The Japan Times · 30 Oct, 02:58
• Indonesians share impact of haze on their livelihoodsMonths of forest fires and toxic haze in Indonesia has severely disrupted daily life.Al Jazeera · 29 Oct, 13:30

In this story: Indonesia · Kalimantan · Borneo · Sumatra · Malaysia · Singapore · Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log