Four killed as Indonesia battles worst forest fires in more than a decade

The forest fires have extended beyond Indonesia’s borders, blanketing neighbouring countries in haze, Reuters reported.The ministry did not identify the victims.

In a statement, it expressed “deep condolences” and paid tribute to the “courage and dedication” of the officers, volunteers and residents working on the fire lines.The deaths, it said, were “a reminder that extinguishing forest and land fires is a high-risk operation”, adding that safety “must be the main concern”, including tracking how the fire is spreading and the wind direction, keeping evacuation routes ready and assessing conditions before and….

The ministry cautioned that hotspots are not the same as fires, as one blaze can register as several.Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has approved accepting help from neighbouring countries, Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said, according to Reuters.Malaysia offered last month to send three helicopters, an aircraft and 52 personnel, but there has been no follow-up, Reuters reported.

Singapore has also said it is ready to help.Indonesia has faced heavy criticism over the fires, which have caused respiratory problems for hundreds of thousands of people and forced school closures in Malaysia and East Timor, according to Reuters.

The deaths come as Jakarta says it will accept foreign help to tackle its worst forest fires in more than a decade.