Indonesia sends oxygen bus to aid residents choking on forest fire haze
The local government is offering 5 to 10 minutes of oxygen therapy as respiratory illnesses rise, with health officials reporting about 350,000 cases nationwide.
- On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, local officials in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, deployed a free mobile oxygen bus to provide relief as residents choke from severe wildfire-induced haze.
- Intense El Niño weather patterns have exacerbated wildfires across Borneo and Sumatra, causing air pollution levels to surpass over 1,000 in some regions, which is considered hazardous.
- The health ministry reported about 350,000 respiratory illness cases linked to the fires between August and October 25, with Central Kalimantan specifically recording about 31,000 cases.
- Medical professionals on the bus offer residents 5 to 10 minutes of oxygen; patient Oktawina, 44, remarked, "This is a disaster from nature and there is not much we can do."
- Local news website Kompas reported that hundreds of students protested at the provincial governor's office last week, demanding a more robust government response to the ongoing fire crisis.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Cities in Indonesia are sending oxygen buses to help people severely affected by smoke from wildfires that are blanketing Indonesia and drifting to neighboring countries.
Choking smoke hangs over Borneo. A bus is driving through the streets of the capital of Central Kalimantan province, carrying medical personnel offering oxygen to people struggling to breathe.
Indonesia’s oxygen bus offers breather to residents choking on toxic haze
A bus fitted out with oxygen tanks is providing a sanctuary in a city on Indonesia’s Borneo island, where people are choking from forest-fire-induced haze and the blazes show no sign of letting up. Indonesia regularly battles seasonal forest fires, predominantly on Sumatra and Borneo islands, but this year the infernos are the most intense in more than a decade. An intense El Nino weather phenomenon has driven up temperatures, leaving the co…
Channel News Asia
WTVBIndonesia sends oxygen bus to aid residents choking on forest fire haze
An "oxygen bus" in Central Kalimantan is offering residents relief from choking wildfire haze, with medical staff administering oxygen as respiratory illnesses surge.
The country's ongoing fires have led to a sharp increase in respiratory illnesses. Authorities have sent specially equipped vehicles to provide free medical care and oxygen to critically ill citizens.
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