Haze disrupts flights at Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II airport
Khairul Saleh, The Jakarta Post, Palembang, South Sumatra | Tue, 09/08/2009 4:30 PM
A thick haze disrupted flights at Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II airport in Palembang and forced authorities to shutdown operations Tuesday morning.
The authorities delayed some flights for one and a half hours as visibility fell considerably.
The haze also blanketed major thoroughfares across the city, with visibility reduced to around 300 meters.
Agus S, head of observation and information at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), said during the annual dry season, thick haze usually caused problems every mornings and afternoon.
On Jalan Raya Lintas Palembang-Indralaya, motorists wore masks to assist with breathing as the haze was so thick visibility was down to between 50 and 100 meters.
“The road was very dark. We had to turn on our vehicles' lamps to avoid having an accident,” Andri, a driver, told The Jakarta Post.
