Serian folk brave severe haze to make a living

Safety first: Residents wearing face masks shopping for fresh produce at the Serian Tamu Market as haze continues to blanket the district. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

SERIAN: Many people in this market town who eke out a living every day are unfazed by the ­declaration of a state of emer­gency in Serian Division by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong late Friday after the air quality crept into the “hazardous” category.

The air pollutant index (API) was 518 on Friday afternoon in Serian Division, which has a population of 114,000 and spans 2,819 sq km. Serian town is only 38km from the Kalimantan border.