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Thick haze continues to blanket Bukittinggi
Thick haze from the reckless land clearing activities in Riau province and its surrounding areas continued to cover Bukittinggi, West Sumatera, on Tuesday, forcing residents to wear masks
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hick haze from the reckless land clearing activities in Riau province and its surrounding areas continued to cover Bukittinggi, West Sumatera, on Tuesday, forcing residents to wear masks.
'The haze is getting increasingly worrisome [and as such] we have to wear these masks,' Efrizal, one of the local residents, said as quoted by Antara news agency.
He said that the haze was thicker than it had been the past few days. Due to the poor air quality, many residents are suffering from eye irritation and respiratory difficulties.
Bukittingi Health Agency head Syofia Dasmauli admitted earlier that the number of acute respiratory infections in the area had increased by up to 20 percent.
'The rising number of respiratory cases was reported in seven community health centers [Puskesmas] from 24 subdistricts in three districts of Bukittinggi,' Syofia said.
Syofia advised residents to ensure they were well hydrated. 'Wearing masks can also prevent respiratory diseases,' she added. (meh/nvn)
