El Niño fire destroys 300 homes in Indonesia
Part of composite article Indonesia Screens 277,075 for Haze Illness as Rights Body Demands Fire Probe Transparency View full article →
A forest fire on Indonesia's Sumatra island, worsened by El Niño, has destroyed nearly 300 homes and forced hundreds of people to evacuate. Officials say the country is battling severe fires and haze.
Residents in Bangka Belitung province first saw the fire approaching their village on Saturday. They tried to put it out themselves using portable water pumps, said Riza Herdavid, head of South Bangka regency.
Conditions are described as the worst in a decade. Wildlife has also been badly affected.