A Health Ministry official in Indonesia said Tuesday that more than 170,000 respiratory cases have been recorded in areas affected by haze, according to Phys.org. The announcement comes as the country has battled for weeks to control fires that caused the toxic smog.
The figure covers regions hit by the haze, though the report does not break down the count by province or time period. It adds to concerns about the public health toll from the fires, which have blanketed parts of the country in smoke.
Because this is a single official report, there are no independent figures to compare against. The statement is the only number cited, and no details on age groups, severity, or hospitalizations were included.