Over 30,000 people affected by haze in Riau, Indonesia

Haze in Indonesia has caused more than 30,000 people suffering from health problems, most of which are respiratory ones including pneumonia, in Riau province, the hardest-hit region, official disclosed here on Friday.

Indonesian health ministry reported 25,834 people suffering from under respiratory infection, 538 others having pneumonia ( serious respiratory problem), 2,246 people getting skin irritation problem, and 1,656 people having eye irritation problem, said Achmad Yurianto, head of crisis center of the ministry.

"As people have suffered from pneumonia, this indicates that it (the danger) has come into alert level. Today (Friday) we sent dozens of doctors, including specialist at lung, to help settle the impact," he said at the health ministry.

To prevent further impact on the people, the health ministry has also distributed over 63,000 masks to the local residence, said Yurianto.

The ministry called the people to keep their body health resistance to prevent from the diseases, he said.

The haze in Sumatra and Borneo has also disturbed flights and spread into neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.

The government has threatened to suspend business license of firms burning forest during land clearing and punish their top officials with criminal penalty.

Hundreds of soldiers have been dispatched to help stop the fire.

Indonesia has been battered by forest fires since the 1990s, as the ensuing haze enveloped neighboring ASEAN countries and caused loss of billions of U.S. dollars. Endi