S Sumatra Governor Apologizes Fora Haze From Forest Fires

Palembang, S Sumatra, Oct 17 (Antara) - South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin apologized as haze triggered by forest fires shrouded the province over the past several weeks. "We have done our best to extinguish hotspots, but haze persists," the governor stated here on Thursday. The South Sumatra administration, with support from hundreds of military and police personnel and local communities, has been trying to put out the fires. Communities also gathered to offer a special prayer for rain. The central government has deployed helicopters to drop water bombs and an airplane to conduct cloud seeding to trigger artificial rain over the province. Forest and peatland fires are very difficult to put out, he remarked.