Wildfire kills 4 firefighters in Indonesia's Mount Bromo national park

At least four firefighters lost their lives and two sustained severe burns while battling wildfires in Indonesia's Mount Bromo national park, according to officials on Friday. The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java was engulfed by thick smoke and rapidly spreading flames, as the country faced its worst wildfire crisis in a decade.

The victims were part of a 12-member firefighting team, comprising national park personnel, community fire brigade members, and local volunteers, as reported by East Java police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast. This incident underscores the high-risk nature of forest and land fire extinguishing operations, with the ministry noting a surge in hotspots detected by satellites.

As of Thursday evening, the number of hotspots in Indonesia had risen to 799, up from 372 the previous day. The worsening forest and land fires were exacerbated by the prolonged dry season caused by El Nino weather phenomenon. The smoke from the Indonesian wildfires has caused a health crisis in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, prompting Malaysia to close hundreds of schools due to deteriorating air quality.

Singapore topped the list of world's most polluted major cities, while Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta ranked second and sixth respectively. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan rejected calls for compensation from Indonesia, emphasizing the need for diplomatic engagement and established mechanisms to address the crisis. Singapore also called for closer regional cooperation on haze management.

The Transboundary Haze Pollution Act enacted by Singapore in 2014 could be used to target companies responsible for the haze, but legal experts cautioned that pursuing companies under the law would be challenging.