SINGAPORE: Air pollution in part of Singapore hit the country's "very high" band while East Timor shut schools, as haze from forest fires raging in Indonesia causes a regional crisis. In Indonesia, authorities said more than 280,000 respiratory problems have been recorded in haze-affected regions since August 18, as blazes burned through hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests and plantations on Borneo and Sumatra islands.
Air pollution in western Singapore on Wednesday hit "very high" — the country's top level — the National Environment Agency said. It recorded levels of tiny particulates capable of penetrating the bloodstream and lungs, known as PM2.5, at 288 microgrammes per cubic metre, vastly exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended average annual exposure of five micrograms.
The haze has drifted into neighbouring Singapore, Malaysia and East Timor, which said it would shut schools nationwide for three days from Thursday, and as far afield as the Philippines. The closures in East Timor were necessary "as a preventive measure to protect the health of students, teachers and other members of the educational community, given current air quality conditions", the government said. It urged families to keep children indoors and to use "respiratory protection" if going outside. — AFP
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