Haze prompts governor to declare optional holiday: As thick haze

Haze prompts governor to declare optional holiday: As thick haze
worsened in Palangkaraya on Thursday, Central Kalimantan Governor
Asmawi Agani declared an optional holiday for civil servants and
students in the provincial capital and surrounding areas
effective Sept. 20. Asmawi also appealed to the public at large
to limit outdoor activities and wear masks if they had to go out
of their houses. Most parts of Palangkaraya were dark the whole
day Thursday, with visibility reduced to less than five meters.
The haze has also crippled transportation services on the Kahayan
River. --JP

Strong blast injures three in Palu: A bomb exploded in front of
the Maranatha Bible School on Jl. Tanjung Manimbaya, Central
Sulawesi, at 8:50 p.m. Thursday, leaving three seriously injured.
Two of the victims were identified as Tadeus, 27, and Arman, 25,
students of the school, while the other one was a police
personnel Brigadier Ratmono. The three are currently being
treated at the Bala Keselamatan Hospital in Palu. -- Antara