Environment & Climate
Haze pushes air pollution in Malaysian border town past emergency threshold
Malaysia's Air Pollutant Index hit 521 in Serian as smoke from Indonesian forest fires blanketed parts of Borneo.
The short version
- Air quality in the Malaysian border town of Serian reached an emergency level of 521 on Friday due to cross-border haze from forest fires in Indonesia.
- The regional capital of Kuching also reported hazardous air pollution, while schools close automatically when the index exceeds 200.
- Indonesian officials have suspended the licenses of five companies over fires in their concessions and deployed cloud-seeding and firefighting operations.
- Malaysian authorities have not yet announced whether an official haze emergency will be declared in Serian to halt nonessential work.
Key facts
- Malaysia's environment department recorded an Air Pollutant Index reading of 521 in Serian, crossing the threshold of 500 required for a haze emergency declaration.[Associated Press]
- Kuching, the capital of Sarawak state, recorded a hazardous Air Pollutant Index reading of 311.[Associated Press]
- Indonesian Forestry Ministry satellite data identified 717 hot spots nationwide since August 1, including 103 active spots within a 24-hour period.[Associated Press]
- Indonesia suspended the business licenses of five companies linked to alleged fires within their concessions in Kalimantan.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- Whether Malaysian authorities will issue an official emergency declaration for Serian to suspend nonessential outdoor activities and work remains unannounced.[Associated Press]
- The extent to which Indonesian authorities will pursue criminal prosecution against companies linked to concession fires is pending investigation.[Associated Press]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.