'Unhealthy' haze blankets Singapore for second week as Indonesia fires continue

Thick smog from wildfires raging across Indonesia blanketed Singapore's skyline on Sunday (October 18), marking two weeks of ‘unhealthy’ air quality levels in the city-state, as authorities moved to hold companies responsible for the transboundary pollution.

Trees, buildings and construction cranes were shrouded in dense grey smog, with cars navigating roads through the murk and the sun barely visible through a thick layer of haze. Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir measured conditions at an Air Quality Index of 202, rated "very unhealthy," between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. (0000 to 0100 GMT), before easing to 163, still in the "unhealthy" range, by noon (0400 GMT).

The episode marked the 14th consecutive day since October 5 where Singapore's air quality has remained at unhealthy levels, the longest unbroken stretch since 2015.

Indonesia has been battling its most intense wildfire season in 11 years, fuelled by El Niño-related dry weather conditions. The haze has caused a spike in respiratory illnesses at home and a dramatic decline in air quality across the region, with several states in Malaysia also forced to shut down schools.

Camera: Lion Schellerer, Pedja Stanisic; Editing, Production and Writing: Jacinta Goh/Reuters