Indonesia fires: Toxic haze spreads across South East Asia amid 'super' El Niño - BBC News

Millions of people have been exposed to the smog, with more than 12,000 children suffering respiratory issues.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, As wildfires worsen across large parts of Indonesia, a noxious haze is choking the region

A blanket of toxic haze is enveloping parts of Indonesia and spreading into Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, as weeks-long wildfires continue to burn.

Millions of people across large swathes of South East Asia have been exposed to the smog, which in some areas has fuelled "acutely unhealthy" pollution more than 15 times the World Health Organization's recommended level.

Many of the ongoing fires have been burning across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo since mid-July – underpinned by a so-called Super El Niño that is exacerbating drought conditions.

Between July and August, Indonesia's Health Ministry recorded over 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires.