‘Indonesia fires a bigger threat than expected’

Painful ordeal: A baby orang utan holding onto its malnourished mother while being rescued in Kuala Satong in West Kalimantan province. The endangered orang utan escaped the raging fires only to be attacked by villagers. — AFP

BANGKOK: Toxic fumes from the Indonesian fires that have spread a choking haze across South-East Asia may be doing more harm to human and plant health than officials have indicated, scientists measuring the pollution say.

Farmers are expecting a poor harvest because plants have too little sunlight for normal photosynthesis, while government figures of half a million sickened by the smoke are only the “tip of the iceberg”, said Louis Verchot, a scientist with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).