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SINGAPORE: Haze shelters across Singapore sat largely empty on Saturday (Oct 17), with only a handful of residents trickling in to seek respite from the stifling combination of heat and polluted air.<\/p>\n
When CNA visited eight designated shelters across the island in the afternoon, only two were occupied. The remaining six were either unoccupied or locked because no one was using them.<\/p>\n
At Toa Payoh Central Community Club, just three residents were seen in the air-conditioned room.<\/p>\n
Among them was retiree Ms Poh Suan, 67, who spent the morning keeping her flat\u2019s windows tightly shut to keep out the haze, which left her home hot and stuffy.<\/p>\n
Reluctant to turn on her air-conditioner, she and her husband, 64-year-old Lim Kim Chua,\u00a0decided to drop by the shelter instead.<\/p>\n
“The haze has been very bad for me, especially because I have eczema. In the air-conditioned room it feels slightly better because I am not so sweaty,” said Ms Poh, who is retired. It was her first time visiting a haze shelter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She added that she intended to spend an hour reading in the haze shelter before heading home.<\/p>\n
Another visitor, retiree Low Cheng Yang, said the shelter offered a welcome breather, adding that he had visited the shelter previously.<\/p>\n
“It is very stuffy and humid outside,” said Mr Low, who is in his late 60s. “(The haze shelter) is good, at least people can hide from the heat.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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