Environment officials in Singapore have asked people to stay indoors after air pollution in the city-state soared to record levels.\n<\/p>\n
A smoky haze caused by forest fires in neighboring Indonesia worsened dramatically on Thursday.\n<\/p>\n
Singaporean officials said pollution has reached an all-time high and breached a hazardous classification that can aggravate respiratory ailments.\n<\/p>\n
The smog and pollution have also disrupted some businesses and travel across the city-state.\n<\/p>\n
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told a news conference that the haze was expected to linger for a number of days because of the weather conditions, and urged residents to avoid going outdoors as much as possible. “We will get through this together,” he said.\n<\/p>\n
Neighboring Malaysia has also closed 200 schools as the air quality in some parts of the country sank to hazardous levels.\n<\/p>\n
The worsening situation has strained relations between Singapore and Indonesia.\n<\/p>\n
Singaporeans authorities say the haze was caused by illegal forest clearing in neighboring Indonesia’s Sumatra Island. Indonesian officials have dismissed the claim, describing the problem as a natural disaster.\n<\/p>\n
Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s Environment and Water Resources Minister, has said that he would demand “definitive action” from Jakarta.\n<\/p>\n
“No country or corporation has the right to pollute the air at the expense of Singaporeans’ health and wellbeing,” Balakrishnan said on his Facebook page.\n<\/p>\n
Singapore’s senior officials say the city-state had provided satellite data to Indonesia to help identify who was responsible for the fires.\n<\/p>\n
The environmental authorities form two nations have held an emergency meeting to tackle the issue.\n<\/p>\n
JR\/KA\/HMV<\/p>\n