Home / Environment / Indonesia Wildfires: 167 Patients Evacuated Amid Toxic Haze
Indonesia Wildfires: 167 Patients Evacuated Amid Toxic Haze
24 Sep
Summary
- 167 psychiatric patients evacuated from South Kalimantan hospital due to toxic haze.
- Over 170,000 respiratory illness cases recorded since August, many involving toddlers.
- El Nino intensifies fires, with over 895,000 hectares burned since January.
Authorities have evacuated 167 psychiatric patients from a hospital in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, due to worsening toxic haze from ongoing wildfires. Officials are prepared to move patients to an off-site facility if smoke conditions become unmanageable.
Since August, Indonesia has recorded over 170,000 cases of respiratory illnesses, with more than 40,000 affecting toddlers. These fires, intensified by an El Nino weather pattern, have burned at least 895,657 hectares of land since January.
Indonesia has deployed over 54,000 personnel and dozens of aircraft to combat the fires across Borneo and Sumatra. However, the vast terrain and difficult peatland conditions present significant challenges. Cloud-seeding operations are also underway with international assistance.
The toxic smog has impacted neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore, pushing air quality indices into unhealthy territory. Critically endangered orangutans have also been affected, with one found suffering from hypoxia and later dying.
Civil society groups have filed a class-action lawsuit against the government, citing alleged negligence in managing the recurring annual disaster. The fires and resulting haze remain a significant public health and environmental concern.
