Smoke from wildfires in Brazil's Amazon rainforest on Wednesday has been severely affecting residents in the region, leading to persistent coughing, burning throats, and reddened eyes.
Large swaths of the country have been blanketed in smoke in recent days, with fires raging not only across the Amazon but also in the Cerrado savannah, Pantanal wetland, and the state of Sao Paulo.
Residents are bearing the brunt of these fires, including Fátima Silva, a 60-year-old farmer in the Amazonian town of Labrea. In a voice note shared with The Associated Press (AP), Silva expressed her distress, stating, \"I am not well. I am feeling short of breath, my throat hurts, my eyes need eye drops, I can't go out on the street, I can't go anywhere because everything is white with smoke.\"
She added that her grandchildren are coughing so much they can hardly sleep, saying, \"My grandchildren, my children, everyone is getting sick. Today it got even worse. No one can stand it.\"
Reference(s):
People in Brazil's Amazon are choking on smoke from wildfires
cgtn.com
