The key facts
- Visibility in Palangkaraya dropped to a few dozen metres
- Smoke reached Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and East Timor
- Schools in East Timor are closed for three days
Orange sky over Kalimantan
On Thursday, October 15, thick smoke from forest fires turned the sky over Palangkaraya — the capital of the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan — bright yellow and orange. Visibility dropped to a few dozen metres. According to aerial imagery, the city almost disappeared in the haze: the Talawang interchange and the statue next to it are barely distinguishable.
Haze reached Singapore
Hundreds of kilometres from the fire hotspots, smoke blanketed Singapore: the iconic Marina Bay Sands complex almost merged with the horizon, with roads, bridges and cars hidden in dense smog. The pollution is linked to fires that have been burning across Indonesia for several months, raising huge clouds of smoke that drift far beyond the country's borders.
Regional crisis
The smoke veil also spread over Malaysia, the Philippines and East Timor, raising concern about air quality across the entire Southeast Asian region. In East Timor, authorities ordered schools to close for three days due to the smog. According to Euronews, the situation in Palangkaraya and Singapore illustrates the scale of a regional pollution crisis affecting everyday life far beyond the areas directly engulfed by fire.
