249 suspects in forest fires

Raging inferno: Firefighters are seen battling a forest fire near Pekanbaru, Riau. Many in Indonesia are suffering from smog-related illness because of the haze due to the wildfires. — AFP

JAKARTA: The National Police have named 249 suspects for forest fires over the weekend as exhausted firefighters work long hours to fight the flames and thousands suffer from smog-related illnesses.

According to National Police spokesperson chief Muhammad Iqbal, six companies have also been named suspects in the disaster.“The number will certainly increase (as the investigation continues), ” Iqbal has been quoted by Antara news agency.