Wildfires in Indonesia drove toxic smog across Southeast Asia
Wildfires in Indonesia, burning since July, have produced toxic smog across Southeast Asia, affecting millions and closing schools in multiple countries, NBC News reported. In central Kalimantan, schoolteacher Natanael Undas said smoke gets into his home despite closed windows, and his 2-year-old daughter has been sneezing constantly amid a spike in respiratory illnesses.
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Wildfires in Indonesia have driven toxic smog across Southeast Asia, affecting millions of people since the fires began in July and forcing school closures in multiple countries. Indonesian schoolteacher Natanael Undas, who lives in central Kalimantan province at the heart of the fires, said the smoke-filled sky “looks like Mars.” His 2-year-old daughter has been sneezing constantly despite the family keeping its windows shut, amid a rise in respiratory illnesses in haze-affected areas. Indonesia’s government said Wednesday it recognized students’ concerns, was prosecuting companies linked to the fires and sending aid to affected provinces. In Singapore, air pollution this month reached its highest level since 2015. Singapore officials have threatened to prosecute companies they consider responsible, and the foreign ministers of Singapore and Indonesia said Tuesday they were considering a joint task force to combat illegal land burning.
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Verifier’s note
NBC News directly reports Indonesian wildfire smog affecting Southeast Asia, associated health concerns, and protests. The Independent and VnExpress International cover related impacts of the fires but do not report the same central claim about protests.