Four people have been killed while tackling Indonesia’s worst forest fires in more than a decade, as President Prabowo Subianto approved the acceptance of help from neighbouring countries.
The victims were caught in flames on Thursday in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, according to the Forestry Ministry. Two other people suffered serious burns and are receiving medical treatment.
The ministry did not identify those who died. It offered its “deep condolences” and paid tribute to the “courage and dedication” of officers, volunteers and residents working on the fire lines.
It said the deaths underlined the dangers of extinguishing forest and land fires, adding that safety should be the main concern during operations. Teams were urged to monitor the direction and spread of the flames, maintain evacuation routes and assess conditions before and during firefighting.
Indonesia forest fires spread haze across the region
Fires on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, near Singapore and Malaysia, are the worst affected. The fires have sent haze across national borders, with Singapore continuing to be shrouded in pollution.
Satellite monitoring detected 799 high-confidence hotspots across Indonesia by Thursday night, an increase of 427 from the previous day. The ministry cautioned that hotspots do not necessarily represent individual fires, as a single blaze can produce several readings.
Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said Mr Prabowo had approved accepting assistance from neighbouring countries. Malaysia offered last month to provide three helicopters, an aircraft and 52 personnel, although there had been no follow-up, while Singapore has also said it is ready to help.
The fires have drawn heavy criticism after causing respiratory problems for hundreds of thousands of people and forcing schools to close in Malaysia and East Timor.
