KUCHING: The haze in Miri deteriorated today, with the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading spiking to a ‘hazardous’ 411 as of 12.50pm.
The Industrial Training Institute (ILP) station recorded an API of 243 at 2am, and the situation quickly deteriorated, with the reading breaching 400 at 11am.
Authorities here have made the decision to shut down two schools in the area.
The affected schools are Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kuala Baram 2 and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) Chung Hua Tudan.
The closure has affected nearly 2,000 pupils and 110 teachers.
Meanwhile, the SK Kuala Baram 2 station registered a ‘very unhealthy’ API level of 224 as of 11am.
In a statement today, the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee said they were informed by the state Education Department on the school closures, adding that school principals have the authority to shut their schools if the API reaches 200.
The committee added that there are 22 hotspots in Kalimantan, 13 in Sumatra and two in Sarawak.
An API reading of 0-50 indicates good air quality; 51-100 (moderate); 101-200 (unhealthy); 201-300 (very unhealthy) and over 300 (hazardous).