Singapore (AFP)
Air pollution from forest fires in Indonesia reached, for the first time in three years, unhealthy levels in Singapore, the Indonesian government said one week before the city's Grand Prix. State.
"There has been a deterioration of the situation (regarding) the cloud of smoke in Singapore this afternoon," said the National Environmental Agency (NEA) in a statement.
This deterioration is "due to a confluence of winds over the neighboring region which has increased the influx of smoke from Sumatra to Singapore," said the organization, referring to one of the Indonesian islands where fires are raging.
According to the NEA, the pollution index (PSI) worsened at 112 in several places on the island Saturday morning.
An index between 101-200 is considered harmful to health, so the authorities do not recommend residents to engage in extended outdoor activities.
Singapore may continue to suffer fire smoke in the coming days, the agency warned.
The city of 5.6 million people is suffocating under this opaque cloud, but daily activities have not experienced any significant interruptions.
The Singapore Grand Prix is scheduled from Friday to Sunday on an urban circuit in the Marina Bay area.
The organizers of the race, Singapore GP, indicated that if "the cloud (smoke) causes visibility, public health or operational problems", they "will work closely with the relevant agencies before taking any decision concerning the event ".
In neighboring Malaysia, which is also affected by the smoke, air quality has deteriorated, including in the capital Kuala Lumpur, causing a diplomatic quarrel with Jakarta.
In 2015, the pollution index reached the critical threshold of more than 300 in Singapore, leading to the closure of schools. That year, forest fires had generated a cloud of pollution that had hovered for weeks over much of Southeast Asia.
© 2019 AFP