Indonesia air pollution deaths rose 42% in September, study estimates

Air pollution-related deaths in Indonesia rose an estimated 42% in September, from 3,740 in August to 5,310, according to a study released Thursday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

The study attributed an estimated 3,560 deaths last month to toxic smoke from forest and land fires. It attributed another 1,750 deaths to chronic emissions from urban and industrial air pollution sources.

The study found that toxic fire smoke accounted for 94–99% of air pollution-related deaths in Kalimantan, on Borneo, and more than 80% on Sumatra. Those were the regions worst affected by the fires.

Indonesia has been dealing with wildfires sparked by severe drought amid an El Nino weather pattern. The fires have caused deforestation and spread toxic smog across the Southeast Asian archipelago.

The government in Jakarta defended its response Wednesday, saying it had deployed more than 72,000 people for cloud-seeding and firefighting operations. It also said it had activated more than 2,100 doctors and health workers in hard-hit areas and distributed 5.3 million masks.