REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KARIMUN -- Thick smog blanketing the waters of Tanjung Balai Karimun in Riau Islands Province becoming thicker than the previous days, but has not yet disturbed visibility of skippers, an offial has said.
"(Thick smog) has yet disturbed, we still let ships sail as usual," head of Guarding and Observation affairs office of Tanjung Balai Karimun port Khairul stated here on Sunday.
According to him, visibility at sea about three miles and still safe for shipping, but he urged the skippers to not force themselves to sail if the smog problems continue to increase.
"The visibility which is prone to shipping approximately one mile. We will postpone the ships sail if the condition reaches the point for the safety of the passengers," Khairul pointed out.
He further asked the skippers to use navigation tools, such as beacon lights, horn and other equipment as awareness of thick smog from the forest fires in Sumatra.
Thick smog stemming from forest and land fires have enveloped various parts of the Sumatra and Kalimantan islands.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said earlier land and forest fires affected the provinces of South Sumatra, Riau, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan during this year`s drought.
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