Smoke from wildfires killed 3,500 people in Indonesia in September: Report
Summary
A report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimated that air pollution caused 5,310 deaths in Indonesia in September, including 3,560 linked to smoke from forest and land fires. The report said 58 million people faced unhealthy to hazardous air quality, while Indonesia’s government said it had deployed emergency workers, activated health staff and distributed masks.Key Facts
- CREA said total air pollution-related deaths rose from an estimated 3,740 in August to 5,310 in September.
- The report attributed 3,560 deaths to smoke from forest and land fires and 1,750 to urban and industrial pollution.
- Fire smoke accounted for 94–99 percent of air pollution-related deaths in Kalimantan and more than 80 percent in Sumatra, according to the report.
- An estimated 58 million people experienced unhealthy to hazardous air quality in September, a record peak, the report said.
- The number of people exposed to hazardous-level air in Kalimantan nearly tripled from 2.8 million to 6.4 million during the worst days.
- The report linked the fires to severe drought amid an El Niño weather pattern and said smoke also raised pollution in neighboring countries.
- Indonesia’s government said it deployed more than 72,000 people for firefighting and cloud-seeding, activated over 2,100 doctors and health workers, and distributed 5.3 million masks.
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