Serian haze worsens, API hits 495
KUALA LUMPUR: Haze conditions in Serian, Sarawak, have worsened, with the Air Pollutant Index (API) rising to 495 as of 7am today.
Serian's Air Pollutant Index (API) reading skyrocketed to 495 this morning, just five points shy of reaching the "emergency" level, according to the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS). The reading, taken at 7am, marked the sole locality in Malaysia with hazardous air conditions. The API had started to climb from 6pm the previous day, following a brief improvement in haze conditions over the past day.
Three other areas in Sarawak, including Kuching, Samarahan, and Sri Aman, were classified as "very unhealthy" with API readings of 289, 265, and 250, respectively. Eight additional localities, including two in neighboring Sabah, reported unhealthy air quality with readings below 200. Douglas Uggah Embas, chairman of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee, had previously indicated that an API reading of 500 would trigger an "emergency" declaration, leading to the suspension of non-essential public and private sector activities and notifying the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) in Kuala Lumpur for further action.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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