Key facts
- An oxygen bus equipped with oxygen tanks and medical professionals is providing relief in Palangka Raya, Borneo.
- Residents can receive oxygen for 5-10 minutes at a time.
- Air pollution levels in some areas of Borneo and Sumatra have exceeded 1,000, categorized as hazardous.
- Approximately 350,000 respiratory illnesses have been reported nationwide due to the fires between August and October 25.
- Central Kalimantan has reported about 31,000 respiratory cases.
An 'oxygen bus' equipped with oxygen tanks and medical professionals has been deployed in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, to provide relief to residents suffering from severe haze caused by ongoing forest fires. The bus offers short oxygen treatments to individuals experiencing respiratory problems amid hazardous air quality conditions. Indonesia is experiencing its most intense forest fires in over a decade, exacerbated by an El Niño phenomenon, which has led to widespread orange skies across Borneo, Sumatra, Malaysia, and Singapore. The health ministry reported approximately 350,000 respiratory illnesses nationwide between August and October 25, with Central Kalimantan alone recording about 31,000 cases. Residents like Oktawina, 44, described the situation as a natural disaster, while others like Purnasari, 31, reported breathing difficulties and tightness due to the thick smoke. Last week, hundreds of students protested at the provincial governor's office, calling for a more robust response to the fires.