PAPAR, March 14 ― Kimanis, an area in Papar district, has recorded unhealthy air quality in Sabah, as of 10 this morning.

According to the Department of Environment (DoE) website, Kimanis, which is located 62km from Papar, recorded an unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) reading of 154.

The situation is believed to be due to several incidents of forest and bushfires this week.

Apart from that, Papar has also been experiencing drought for the past few weeks, causing the Papar District Disaster Management Committee (JBPD) to declare the district a disaster area, starting yesterday.

The DoE also reminded people against open burning, which will worsen the air quality during the current hot and dry weather. ― Bernama