Indonesians pray for rain as wildfires blanket cities in choking smoke
Massive forest and peatland fires in central and western Indonesia have scorched wide areas and covered several cities in thick haze. Residents have turned to prayer, hoping for rain to bring relief.
Indonesia is battling large-scale fires that have burned through forests and peatland in the country's central and western regions. The blazes have consumed extensive areas of land, generating a heavy smoke haze that has settled over a number of cities.
As air quality has deteriorated, residents in affected areas have gathered to pray for rain, hoping it would help extinguish the fires and clear the smoke choking their communities.
Peatland fires in Indonesia are notoriously difficult to control, since peat can smolder underground long after visible flames are put out, producing smoke for extended periods. This means the resulting haze can spread well beyond the immediate fire zones, affecting air quality and daily life in cities across the region.
