Home / Environment / Indonesia Wildfires: Toxic Smoke Claims 3,560 Lives
Indonesia Wildfires: Toxic Smoke Claims 3,560 Lives
30 Oct
Summary
- Wildfire smoke caused 3,560 deaths in Indonesia last month.
- Air pollution deaths surged 42% in September due to fires.
- 58 million citizens faced unhealthy to hazardous air quality.
Last month, Indonesia experienced a devastating surge in deaths attributed to wildfire smoke, with 3,560 fatalities recorded. A recent report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) revealed that air pollution-related deaths increased by 42% in September, rising from 3,740 in August to 5,310.
The majority of these deaths, specifically 3,560, were directly linked to toxic smoke from forest and land fires. In contrast, chronic urban and industrial pollution contributed to an additional 1,750 deaths during the same period.
Regions such as Kalimantan and Sumatra were disproportionately affected, with toxic fire smoke accounting for over 80% of air pollution-related deaths. This alarming situation led to a record peak of 58 million citizens exposed to unhealthy to hazardous air quality.
The Indonesian government has responded by deploying over 72,000 personnel for firefighting and cloud-seeding operations. They have also activated more than 2,100 health workers and distributed 5.3 million masks to affected populations.
