Singapore air turns unhealthy but Indonesia still denies causing haze

This photo released by Banjarmasin Disaster Management Agency, shows a fire that razes through a land in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. Indonesia denied Friday that forest and peat fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands were causing the haze in Malaysia, after the neighboring government sent a letter complaining about the air quality and asking to work together to deal with the fires. - AP

JAKARTA/SINGAPORE (Bloomberg): Singapore said air quality in the centreand east of the island has reached "unhealthy” levels and warned that hazy conditions may be widespread due to forest fires in Indonesia, increasing tension in the region over cross-border air pollution that causes respiratory illness and can slash tourism revenue.

Singapore’s 24-hour PSI air pollution reading in the east of the island rose as high as 117, according to the National Environment Agency website on Saturday. An index reading between 101 and 200 is deemed "unhealthy,” while a level above 300 is categorized as "hazardous.” Indonesia said seven provinces have declared a state of emergency for land and forest fires, but denied that haze from Indonesia had spread to other countries.