Malaysia declared an emergency Friday in a town in Sarawak state on Borneo Island after air pollution breached the country's emergency-level threshold. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The Air Pollutant Index in Serian, a small agricultural town, rose sharply. This is linked to fires in neighboring Indonesia. The situation in Malaysia is worsening due to forest fires in Indonesia, exacerbated by dry weather and an intensifying El Nino.
Intermittent rain brought some relief, but authorities expect the situation to remain largely unchanged over the next few days.
The Kuching riverside in the city center is shrouded in thick haze. The Sarawak Government Administrative Centre in Serian is also shrouded in thick haze. The Sarawak Astana government building is also in haze.
This situation affects air quality in Malaysia, posing a health risk to residents. Authorities are monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures.