
Air pollutant index breaches 200 in Malaysian district, forcing students back to home-based learning.
All 108 schools in Serian, Sarawak, were ordered to close on Thursday after the air pollutant index breached 200, reaching the very unhealthy category.
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Serian's schools have experienced recurring closures since mid-August due to worsening air pollution, with the API previously hitting 518 on September 4.
All 108 schools in Serian, a district in the state of Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo, were ordered to close on Thursday after the air pollutant index (API) breached 200 on Wednesday night, forcing pupils back to home-based learning.
By noon, Serian’s API reading was still at 211, making it the only location nationwide in the “very unhealthy” category, while nine other stations across Sarawak recorded unhealthy air. Malaysia classifies API readings above 300 as hazardous.
Serian’s schools have been stuck in a stop-start cycle since mid-August, shutting when pollution worsens and reopening when air quality improves. The disruption peaked on September 4 when the API hit 518, causing the King to approve a state of emergency for the district.

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