Malaysia declares state of emergency in Sarawak’s Serian after air pollutant index exceeds 500
- On Friday, Malaysia declared a state of emergency in the Serian district after the Air Pollutant Index reading surged to 519, the highest recorded since the current transboundary haze episode began earlier this year.
- Smoke from forest fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan and Sumatra provinces drifted across the border into Sarawak, with the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre reporting "widespread hotspots" on Tuesday.
- Residents in Serian are panic buying N95 masks at Farmasi Ting pharmacy, while resident Yasmina R.C. Holland told CNA the current episode is the worst she has experienced in two decades.
- The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee launched a three-day cloud-seeding operation on Thursday, with committee chair Douglas Uggah Embas stating that rainfall "has the potential to reduce the concentration of airborne pollutants."
- His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim consented to the emergency declaration, which suspends all non-essential public and private sector activities in Serian as authorities warn that October may bring hotter and drier weather.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Malaysia declares emergency in Sarawak town as haze pollution level hits 521
Malaysia declared an emergency on Friday in a town in Sarawak state on Borneo Island after air pollution breached the country’s emergency-level threshold linked to fires in neighbouring Indonesia. The Air Pollutant Index in Serian, a small agricultural town of just under 90,000 near the border of Indonesia’s Kalimantan province, surged to 521 on Friday, according to Malaysia’s environment department. Sarawak’s much larger capital, Kuching, also …
Malaysian authorities declared a state of emergency across the city of Serian in Sarawak state on Borneo island after the air pollution index (API) soared above 500 following intensified transboundary haze from Indonesia.
Malaysia declares emergency in Serian district in Sarawak state due to haze
Malaysia declared an emergency in the district of Serian, in Sarawak state, after thick haze caused by forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia pushed air pollution up to hazardous levels on Friday (Sep 4). Read more at The Business Times.
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