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| Singapore haze hits record high from Indonesia fires | |
| (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 Singapore's history. | |
| The index also reached 400 in one part of Indonesia, which is readying helicopters and cloud-seeding equipment in an effort to tackle the fires. | |
| Schools in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia have closed temporarily. | |
| 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". | |
| "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 down to 143 at 17:00 (09:00 GMT), although this is still classed as "unhealthy". | The PSI dropped down to 143 at 17:00 (09:00 GMT), although this is still classed as "unhealthy". |
| Before this week's episode, the previous air pollution record was from September 1997 during the 1997-1998 South East Asian Haze, when the PSI peaked at 226. | Before this week's episode, the previous air pollution record was from September 1997 during the 1997-1998 South East Asian Haze, when the PSI peaked at 226. |
| 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. |
| In Indonesia's Riau province, where the fires are concentrated, the PSI went up to 400 on Friday, the head of the local health office told the BBC. | |
| Schools are to remain closed until air quality improves. | |
| The chief of the health department Zainal Arifin said there was an "increasing number of asthma, lung, eye and skin problems due to higher CO2 levels". | |
| "I call for residents to stay at home and reduce outdoor activities," he said. | "I call for residents to stay at home and reduce outdoor activities," he said. |
| Diplomatic strain | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| More than 100 Indonesian fire-fighters are attempting to put out the fires in Sumatra. | More than 100 Indonesian fire-fighters are attempting to put out the fires in Sumatra. |
| However, an official in Riau province said they were "overwhelmed and in a state of emergency". | However, an official in Riau province said they were "overwhelmed and in a state of emergency". |
| "We have been fighting fires 24 hours a day for two weeks," Ahmad Saerozi, the head of the natural resources conservation agency in Riau, told AFP news agency. | "We have been fighting fires 24 hours a day for two weeks," Ahmad Saerozi, the head of the natural resources conservation agency in Riau, told AFP news agency. |
| He added that the fires were in peat around three or four metres below the ground, making it particularly hard to fight them. | He added that the fires were in peat around three or four metres below the ground, making it particularly hard to fight them. |
| "It is still burning under the surface so we have to stick a hose into the peat to douse the fire," he said. | "It is still burning under the surface so we have to stick a hose into the peat to douse the fire," he said. |
| "We take one to two hours to clear a hectare, and by then another fire has started elsewhere." | "We take one to two hours to clear a hectare, and by then another fire has started elsewhere." |
| 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. |
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