Shafaqna English- In Indonesia’s South Sumatra province, authorities turned to spiritual measures on Tuesday as massive fires in the central and western regions scorched large areas of forests and peatland. Muslims gathered for rain prayers in the wildfire-affected areas of South Sumatra.
The prayer gathering in one of the regions hardest hit by this year’s wildfire season comes as the province faces prolonged dry weather that has heightened the risk of forest and peatland fires.
The latest satellite data from the Environment Ministry showed West Kalimantan recorded the highest number of hot spots with 3,120, followed by Central Kalimantan on 2,314 and South Sumatra at 1,500. Forestry Ministry data showed that nearly 940 square kilometers (363 square miles) were burned in July alone, including over 20 square kilometers (8 square miles) in South Sumatra province.
Sources: ABC News