Disaster

PPPK Civil Servant in South Barito Dies After Breathing Difficulties Amid Wildfire Haze

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 17, 2026•3 min read

PPPK civil servant RY (40) died at the emergency room of Jaraga Sasameh Hospital in Buntok on Thursday (Oct 15, 2026) after suffering breathing difficulties amid the wildfire haze blanketing South Barito. The disaster agency suspects the death is linked to air quality, though the exact cause is unconfirmed.

Key Facts

RY (40), a civil servant with PPPK status, died at the emergency room of Jaraga Sasameh Regional Hospital in Buntok, South Barito, Central Kalimantan, on Thursday (Oct 15, 2026) at around 3:00 p.m. local time after suffering breathing difficulties.
He began experiencing shortness of breath after returning from work; his condition worsened at home before his family rushed him to the hospital.
South Barito disaster agency head Agus In'Yulius suspects the death is linked to the region's air quality amid wildfire haze, but a direct causal link has not been confirmed.
RY was also a volunteer forest-fire firefighter in South Barito, though he was not on firefighting duty when the incident occurred.
South Barito health chief Dr. Dadang Baskoro Nugroho said medical examinations found lung and heart disorders; two to three hours of emergency treatment failed to save him.
The local health agency recorded seven pneumonia deaths over the past three months: three in August 2026, two in September, and two in October 2026 — amid rising pneumonia cases.
The air pollution index (ISPU) in the South Barito–Sanggu area reached 654 (hazardous category) on the morning before RY died.
Before this case, a six-month-old baby was reported to have died amid the haze blanketing South Barito.

Shortness of Breath After Work

A civil servant (ASN) with PPPK contract status, identified as RY (40), died in South Barito (Barsel), Central Kalimantan, amid wildfire (karhutla) haze that continues to blanket the region.

RY died at the emergency room of Jaraga Sasameh Regional Hospital in Buntok on Thursday (Oct 15, 2026) at around 3:00 p.m. local time. South Barito disaster agency head Agus In'Yulius explained that RY began experiencing respiratory distress after returning from work. He went home first before his condition worsened and his family took him to the hospital.

RY was also a volunteer forest-fire firefighter in South Barito. However, he was not on firefighting duty when he developed breathing difficulties that led to his death. RY, who lived on Jalan Ibunda VI in Buntok, was buried in Pendang, North Dusun district, South Barito.

Suspected Link to Air Quality, Hazardous ISPU

South Barito health chief Dr. Dadang Baskoro Nugroho explained that medical examinations of RY revealed disorders in his lungs and heart. Medical teams treated him for about two to three hours in the emergency room, but could not save his life.

The South Barito disaster agency suspects the region's air quality is linked to RY's death, although a direct link between smoke exposure and his death cannot yet be confirmed. The air pollution index (ISPU) in the South Barito–Sanggu area reached 654, or the hazardous category, about five and a half hours before RY died.

Dadang also flagged a trend of pneumonia deaths in South Barito: three in August 2026, two in September, and two in October 2026, amid rising pneumonia cases. Before RY's case, a six-month-old baby was reported to have died amid the haze blanketing South Barito.