IPOH, Sept 19 ― As many as 250 schools in four districts in Perak were ordered to close today due to haze.

Perak Education director Dr Mohd Suhaimi Mohamed Ali said the move involved 137 schools under the Larut, Matang and Selama district education office and 71 schools under the Kerian district education office.

He said it also involved 38 schools under the Kuala Kangsar district education office and four schools under the Hulu Perak district education office.

"The closures of all 250 schools involved 88,028 students,” he said in a statement here.

According to the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) portal, the API reading in Taiping was at an unhealthy level of 139 as of 7am.

Today, 303 schools in several districts, namely, Manjung, Hilir Perak, Bagan Datuk and Central Perak have been reopened as the haze situation in the areas improved. ― Bernama