{
  "id": 5539206,
  "title": "Malaysia declares air quality emergency as haze linked to Indonesia fires reaches critical level",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/malaysia-declares-air-quality-emergency-as-haze-linked-to-indonesia",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T11:02:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "http://www.euronews.com/2026/09/04/malaysia-declares-air-quality-emergency-as-haze-linked-to-indonesia-fires-reaches-critical"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Malaysia has declared an air quality emergency in Serian, a small agricultural town in Sarawak state on Borneo Island. The Air Pollutant Index in Serian surged to 521, according to Malaysia's environment department. This reading is considered hazardous, with some sources reporting it as 515.\n\nThe emergency was declared by Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, allowing for more effective measures to be taken to address the issue. While details are limited, officials have indicated that a reading above 500 could lead to nonessential work and outdoor activities being halted. Schools are already closed when the index exceeds 200.\n\nHaze in the region is a recurring seasonal problem, caused by smoke from forest and peat fires in Indonesia that can travel across national borders, affecting neighbouring Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore. Sarawak state has been particularly affected, with several areas experiencing hazardous air levels, including the capital Kuching, which recorded a reading of 311.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Mongabay",
        "title": "As Indonesia’s wildfires rage, haze spreads farther across Southeast Asia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/as-indonesias-wildfires-rage-haze-spreads-farther-across-southeast",
        "published": "2026-09-04T12:26:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Indonesia deploys 14,000 firefighters as wildfires fuel hazardous haze",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/indonesia-deploys-14-000-firefighters-as-wildfires-fuel-hazardous-haze",
        "published": "2026-09-04T13:48:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}