Hot spots doubled in Central Kalimantan

Motorists turning on their headlights even after sunrise as the thick haze fills the air in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, on Oct 1, 2015. ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG.

JAKARTA: Indonesia's Central Kalimantan province continued to be shrouded in thick haze as the Pollutant Standards Index in its capital Palangkaraya rose to 1,917 before sensors stopped sending updates after 11am Saturday.

The province has been the worst hit by forest fires raging over land embedded with coal deposits that make them almost impossible to put out during this dry spell. This has led to a spike in the number of hot spots recorded by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, particularly in September this year.