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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| New pollution high as haze chokes Singapore | New pollution high as haze chokes Singapore |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Pollution levels reached a new record high for a third day in a row in Singapore, as smoky haze from fires in Indonesia shrouded the city state. | Pollution levels reached a new record high for a third day in a row in Singapore, as smoky haze from fires in Indonesia shrouded the city state. |
| The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit 401 at 12:00 on Friday (04:00 GMT) - the highest in the country's history. | The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit 401 at 12:00 on Friday (04:00 GMT) - the highest in the country's history. |
| The haze is also affecting Malaysia, with another 100 schools closed in the south of the country. | The haze is also affecting Malaysia, with another 100 schools closed in the south of the country. |
| Indonesia has prepared helicopters and cloud seeding equipment to try to tackle the fires. | |
| Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong warned on Thursday that the haze could remain in place for weeks. | Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong warned on Thursday that the haze could remain in place for weeks. |
| "We can't tell how this problem is going to develop because it depends on the burning, it depends on the weather, it depends on the wind," he said. | "We can't tell how this problem is going to develop because it depends on the burning, it depends on the weather, it depends on the wind," he said. |
| "It can easily last for several weeks and quite possibly it could last longer until the dry season ends in Sumatra which may be September or October." | "It can easily last for several weeks and quite possibly it could last longer until the dry season ends in Sumatra which may be September or October." |
| 'Life threatening' | 'Life threatening' |
| A PSI reading above 300 is defined as "hazardous", while Singapore government guidelines say a PSI reading of above 400 over 24 hours "may be life threatening to ill and elderly persons". | A PSI reading above 300 is defined as "hazardous", while Singapore government guidelines say a PSI reading of above 400 over 24 hours "may be life threatening to ill and elderly persons". |
| "Healthy people [may also] experience adverse symptoms that affect normal activity," the government says. | "Healthy people [may also] experience adverse symptoms that affect normal activity," the government says. |
| The PSI dropped back down to 245 at 14:00 (0600 GMT), although this is still in the "very unhealthy" range, and above peak levels during the 1997-1998 South East Asian Haze. | |
| Singapore resident Nicole Wu told the BBC that she had stayed indoors for the past two days. | Singapore resident Nicole Wu told the BBC that she had stayed indoors for the past two days. |
| "It's terrible. In my flat the windows are all closed with the air conditioning on," she said. "My mother has to wear a mask to go shopping." | "It's terrible. In my flat the windows are all closed with the air conditioning on," she said. "My mother has to wear a mask to go shopping." |
| "I can't even see what's happening outside my house due to the smog. You can't see birds [or] moving objects," she added. | "I can't even see what's happening outside my house due to the smog. You can't see birds [or] moving objects," she added. |
| Philip Koh, a doctor, told AFP news agency that the number of medical consultations he had had in the past week had increased by 20%. | Philip Koh, a doctor, told AFP news agency that the number of medical consultations he had had in the past week had increased by 20%. |
| "My patients are telling me they are worried about how long this is going to last and how much higher this is going to go," he said. | "My patients are telling me they are worried about how long this is going to last and how much higher this is going to go," he said. |
| Diplomatic strain | |
| Singapore's National Environment Agency has started providing hourly PSI updates on its website, in addition to the three-hourly updates it previously provided. | Singapore's National Environment Agency has started providing hourly PSI updates on its website, in addition to the three-hourly updates it previously provided. |
| Around 300 schools in southern Malaysia have now been closed as a result of the smog. Schools in Singapore are currently closed for the holidays. | Around 300 schools in southern Malaysia have now been closed as a result of the smog. Schools in Singapore are currently closed for the holidays. |
| There are also reports of flight delays in both Singapore's Changi airport and Riau province in Indonesia. | |
| The fires are caused by illegal slash-and-burn land clearance in Sumatra, to the west of Singapore. | The fires are caused by illegal slash-and-burn land clearance in Sumatra, to the west of Singapore. |
| The smog has strained diplomatic relations between Singapore and Indonesia - two countries that usually share good relations, the BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta reports. | The smog has strained diplomatic relations between Singapore and Indonesia - two countries that usually share good relations, the BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta reports. |
| Mr Lee said Singapore had provided satellite date to Indonesia to help it identify companies involved and said that if any Singapore firms were involved, that would be addressed. | Mr Lee said Singapore had provided satellite date to Indonesia to help it identify companies involved and said that if any Singapore firms were involved, that would be addressed. |
| Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency said it would deploy two helicopters to conduct "water-bombing" operations, as well as planes with cloud seeding equipment. | |
| Reports say around 100 Indonesian firefighters are attempting to put out the fires in Sumatra. | |
| Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said "all the country's resources" would be mobilised to extinguish the fires. | Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said "all the country's resources" would be mobilised to extinguish the fires. |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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