Indonesia’s September smoke from wildfires killed 3,500 people, report finds

Deaths rose amid wildfire smoke

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released its study on Thursday. It estimated 5,310 air pollution-related deaths in September, up from 3,740 in August.

Forest and land fires caused 3,560 deaths, the report said. Chronic emissions from urban and industrial pollution sources accounted for another 1,750.

Regional effects differed

In Kalimantan, on Borneo, fire smoke was linked to 94–99 percent of air pollution-related deaths. It accounted for more than 80 percent in Sumatra, the regions most affected by the fires. On Java, deaths remained largely tied to urban and industrial pollution, according to the study.

Millions faced hazardous air

The number of people exposed to unhealthy or hazardous air reached a record 58 million in September, the report found. In Kalimantan, the number breathing hazardous-level air nearly tripled during the month’s worst days, rising from 2.8 million to 6.4 million.

Severe drought linked to an El Niño weather pattern has fueled destructive fires, deforestation and toxic smog across the Indonesian archipelago. Pollution has also affected Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and East Timor.

Government defends its response

The government in Jakarta has faced growing criticism over its handling of the fires. On Wednesday, it said more than 72,000 people had been deployed for cloud-seeding and firefighting operations. The government also said it had activated more than 2,100 doctors and health workers in badly affected areas and distributed 5.3 million masks.