Firefighters try to put out a peatland fire in Puding near Jambi on the island of Sumatra on Wednesday. (Antara Photo/Wahdi Septiawan)
Hazed and Confused
BY :ANTARA PHOTO
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
Major cities on the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra – including Palangkaraya, Ogan Ilir, Pekanbaru, Padang, Banjarmasin and Pontianak – have been covered in smoke and haze from forest fires since August.
Firefighters have been joined by Army soldiers to try to put out the fires for more than a month with little result.
The Meteorology and Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said visibility in Palembang was down to a dangerous 600 meters.
Extreme haze forced closure of schools and local hospitals are inundated by patients with respiratory complaints.
Oxygen "shelters" have been established in Pekanbaru, Riau, to help children suffering from breathing difficulties because of the smoke and haze.
A peatland fire that refused to go out for several days in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, also destroyed homes and shops.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, accompanied by his ministers and other top officials, visited Pekanbaru on Monday to see the fire damage for himself.
A total of 151,862 forest fire spots have been recorded in Indonesia so far this year, the highest ever in history.
Forest fire in North Indralaya near Ogan Ilir, South Sumatera on Friday. (Antara Photo/Nathan)An Army doctor puts on an oxygen mask on a girl suffering from haze-induced breathing problems in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Sunday. (Antara Photo/Rony Muharrman)Masked motorists cross the Pangeran Hidayatullah Bridge in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Thursday. (Antara Photo/Bayu Pratama S.)Children run away from a peatland fire in Kayu Areh, a village near Palembang in South Sumatra on Sunday. (Antara Photo/Mushaful Imam)A motorboat crosses a haze-shrouded Martapura River in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Thursday. (Antara Photo/Bayu Pratama S.)Muslims perform the "Istisqa" (prayer for rain) on a public square in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Wednesday. (Antara Photo/Rony Muharrman)Firefighters put out a fire in Rimbo Panjang, Riau, on Monday. (Antara Photo/Rony Muharrman)An MI8 helicopter belonging to The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) drops water over a fire in Sukarame, a village near Ogan Ilir in South Sumatra, on Monday. (Antara Photo/Mushaful Imam)A woman inspects the aftermath of a peatland fire from inside her home in Pengayuan, a village in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Saturday. (Antara Photo/Bayu Pratama S.)Jokowi inspects the remains of a forest fire in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Tuesday. (Antara Photo/Puspa Perwitasari)