Palangka: An oxygen-equipped bus is providing emergency respiratory support to residents in Palangka Raya on Indonesia’s Borneo island as forest fires intensify and hazardous haze spreads across parts of Southeast Asia.
Indonesia regularly experiences seasonal forest fires, particularly on Sumatra and Borneo. However, the current blazes are the most intense in more than a decade, according to the report. An intense El Niño weather pattern has raised temperatures and left forests and peatlands more vulnerable to fires, turning skies orange across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
The Central Kalimantan provincial government deployed the specially equipped bus as respiratory illnesses increased in Palangka Raya. Medical professionals provide oxygen through small nasal tubes, with sessions lasting between five and 10 minutes. The provincial health department said the service supports residents experiencing breathing difficulties amid unhealthy air quality.
Air pollution readings in some areas of Borneo and Sumatra have exceeded 1,000 on Indonesia’s pollution index. Readings of 300 or higher are already classified as hazardous. The health ministry reported approximately 350,000 respiratory illness cases linked to the fires between August and October 25, including around 31,000 cases in Central Kalimantan.
Residents receiving treatment described breathing difficulties, coughing and chest tightness after exposure to thick smoke. Medical staff on the bus record patient details and provide oxygen to people reporting respiratory symptoms.
Public concern has also prompted demonstrations. Hundreds of students protested outside the provincial governor’s office, demanding a stronger government response to the fires, according to local media reports. The continuing fires have raised concerns over public health and environmental damage, as communities across the region face prolonged exposure to smoke and hazardous air pollution.
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