Borneo wildfires spread hazardous smoke across south-east Asia
Wildfires across Indonesian Borneo have created a toxic haze that is harming residents and disrupting daily life. The smoke has spread beyond Indonesia to Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, making the fires a regional health and environmental concern.
About 1.9 million hectares have burned in Indonesia since the start of the year, with an estimated one million hectares burning in September alone. By mid-October, the Health Ministry had recorded more than 277,000 cases of chronic coughs and acute respiratory infections, including over 62,000 among children under five. Residents describe worrying symptoms in their children and say official advice to stay indoors is difficult to follow when daily necessities still require them to go out.
- Indonesian fires have burned about 1.9 million hectares this year.
- Smoke has spread across Southeast Asia.
- More than 277,000 respiratory illness cases were recorded by mid-October.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Borneo is burning – living on the frontline of Asia’s toxic haze”.