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🇸🇬 Singapore /Disasters & Emergencies

Sarawak Nears Haze Emergency as Air Quality Hits Worst Level Since 2019

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Sarawak recorded an Air Pollution Index reading of 475 at one monitoring station, nearing the threshold of 500 for a possible haze emergency.
  • Authorities urged residents to wear masks outdoors as hazardous or very unhealthy air affected Kuching and several districts.
  • Officials attributed the haze to fires in Kalimantan, while Sabah also reported unhealthy air and a local fire that destroyed 202 stilt houses.

Sarawak came close to declaring a haze emergency after one monitoring station recorded an Air Pollution Index of 475, the state's worst air quality since 2019. The emergency threshold is 500.

Douglas Uggah Embas, Sarawak's deputy premier and State Disaster Management Committee chairman, said an emergency declaration would close government and private offices, except for essential services. If the API exceeds 500, Malaysia's National Disaster Management Agency will assess the conditions and advise whether to begin the declaration process.

If the API threshold of 500 is breached, the National Disaster Management Agency will assess the situation and, if prescribed criteria are met, advise on initiating the emergency declaration process.

— Douglas Uggah EmbasThe Sarawak deputy premier explained what would happen if pollution reached the emergency threshold.

The API passed the hazardous level of 301 in Kuching, Samarahan and Serian around midday on Aug. 30. Sri Aman reached hazardous levels at midnight on Aug. 31. At 1 p.m. that day, three Sarawak locations recorded very unhealthy readings, while 14 locations across Malaysia reached unhealthy levels, including six in Sarawak and three in Penang.

The pollution revived memories of earlier haze crises. Sarawak's worst reading in the past decade was 405 in 2019, while its last haze emergency came in September 1997, when the API peaked at 860. Kuching resident Kenny Boon recalled being confined at home as a sixth-grader during that crisis, unable to play badminton with his cousins.

I was a sixth grader then. Normally, I would play badminton with cousins who lived in the neighbourhood, but I couldn’t do that.

— Kenny BoonA Kuching resident recalled restrictions during Sarawak's 1997 haze emergency.

Residents again reported worsening conditions. Kuching pig farmer Veronica Chew said her air purifier showed an API of 124 early on Aug. 29 and 405 by nightfall. Visibility deteriorated, and she said the air smelled of burning. The API uses a 24-hour average based on pollutants including PM2.5, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone.

Neighbouring Sabah also went on haze alert. Kota Kinabalu recorded 122 and Tawau 153, both unhealthy readings. Authorities linked the regional haze to forest and peat fires in Kalimantan, while a fire in Kota Kinabalu destroyed 202 stilt houses.

My air purifier showed an API of 124 at 6 am on Aug 29. By night, it was 405. Visibility was poor, and the air I breathed had a burning smell.

— Veronica ChewThe Kuching resident described the rapid deterioration in air quality.
About this summary

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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