Singapore: Indonesia Is Ruining Our Air

Hazardous haze now in Malaysia, too
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 20, 2013 10:35 AM CDT
Singapore: Indonesia Is Ruining Our Air
The sun rises over the Singapore Central Business District as smog envelopes the city on Thursday, June 20, 2013.   (AP Photo/Joseph Nair)

The hazardous smog that choked Singapore late last week won't dissipate any time soon, says the nation's PM, and it has officials pointing a finger at Indonesia. The pollution, which could last for weeks, has apparently been brought on by illegal forest fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the BBC reports. "No country or corporation has the right to pollute the air at the expense of Singaporeans' health and well-being," the environment minister said.

An Indonesian official countered by saying Singapore was "behaving like a child," noting the fires—used to clear land for plantations, per the BBC—are "because of nature." The two nations will attend an emergency meeting today, and Singapore's PM says the country will hold daily press conferences to discuss the smog's status. In the meantime, the air smells like burnt wood, residents have been told to stay indoors, and air traffic controllers are grappling with the reduced visibility. (More smog stories.)

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