Lion Air JT-237 with destination to Pekanbaru, Riau Province, was delayed from 9:10 am to 12:45 am because haze from forest and plantation fires enveloped Pekanbaru, Indah Irwansyah, head of the Batam Hang Nadim international airports fight safety chief, said here on Sunday.
"Information from Palembang and Pekanbaru said the visibility there is very poor, so it is impossible to fly there," he said.
Citilink QG930 from Palembang was scheduled to land in Batam at 10 am, but it was postponed for several hours due to haze.
Wings Air cancelled its flight no. IW 1299 from Silangit (North Sumatra, to Batam also because of haze.
Some 353 hotspots of forest and plantation fires were detected across Sumatra Island on Oct. 10.
"Based on the data received from the Terra and Aqua satellites in Sumatra this morning, 353 hotspots were detected, with the majority in South Sumatra," Head of the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology and geophysics office Sugarin stated.
The number significantly increased from 75 hotspots recorded on the previous day.
South Sumatra had 284 hotspots, Jambi 26, Riau 24, Bangka Belitung 10, and Lampung nine hotspots.
In Riau Province, 24 hotspots were detected on Wednesday, up from four on the previous day. The hotspots were detected in Indragiri Hilir (18), Rokan Hulu (three), Pelalawan (two), and Indragiri Hulu (one).
(Uu.F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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