Indonesia declared a state of emergency Monday in a province choked with thick smoke from brush fires, as the pall continued to spread to other parts of Southeast Asia and fears mounted that worsening air quality could affect the international Grand Prix race set for Sunday in neighboring Singapore.

The emergency announcement in Indonesia’s Riau province on Sumatra island came as aircraft were deployed to water-bomb the raging blazes, and to seed clouds with chemicals in attempt to induce rain.

Indonesia had said Friday it would send more than 1,000 troops to fight fires in southern Sumatra, with smoke sickening thousands of people and pushing air quality to unhealthy levels across the narrow straits in Singapore and Malaysia.

Indonesia has vowed in previous years to end the seasonal fires, but has failed each time to stop the so-called "haze" caused by slash-and-burn land clearing on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, where large areas of forest and brush concessions are held by palm oil and pulp-and-paper companies. The problem has been occurring during the region’s annual dry season for the past two decades.

Indonesian troops will be sent to the provinces of South Sumatra and Jambi, two of the main hotspots, Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.

If necessary, the agency will also send in additional helicopters to help water-bomb fires.

"We have mobilized national resources to put out the fires," newly appointed BNPB chief Willem Rampangilei said in a news release.

South Sumatra, one of the main centers of the fires, has alone reported 22,585 cases of acute respiratory tract infections since Friday.

Singapore has passed legislation allowing authorities to fine companies that cause or contribute to haze, regardless of whether they have an office in the city-state. But Indonesia has previously faced criticism for failing to hand over information about the suspected culprits.

Early on Friday, Singapore's Pollutants Standard Index rose to 248, which categorizes the air as "very unhealthy," at one level below the index's highest air pollution category of "hazardous."

The organizers of the Singapore Grand Prix were also keeping a close watch on the situation. The F1 race, to be held this weekend, has taken place in Singapore since 2008 and draws hordes of tourists and racing enthusiasts from the region and beyond.

"In the event that the haze caused visibility, public health or operational issues, Singapore GP would work closely with the relevant agencies before making any collective decisions regarding the event," the Singapore GP said in a statement.

However, a decision on whether it will be safe to race will be made by FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting after consulting with drivers and teams.

The race has always been held at this time of year, and while there has been some haze in past years, it has never prevented the race from going ahead.

Singapore, which was voting in a general election on Friday, advised citizens against strenuous outdoor exercise.

Wire services

sumber: aljazeera

The city of Joso, north of the capital, Tokyo, was hit by a wall of water after the Kinugawa River burst its banks. Helicopter rescue teams have been plucking people from rooftops.

At least eight people are still missing and 100 need rescuing.

The rains come a day after a tropical storm brought winds of up to 125km/h (78mph) to central Aichi prefecture.

The chief forecaster at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Takuya Deshimaru, said that the rainfall was "unprecedented" for that part of Japan.

"We can say this is an abnormal situation and there is imminent serious danger," he went on.

Analysis by the BBC's Mariko Oi in Japan

Japan gets hit by, on average, 20 to 30 such storms each year. This is the 18th this year so despite the heavy rainfall that we have experienced over the last few days, it was difficult to predict how severe the damage would be.

The Kinugawa River bursting its banks took even experts by surprise, especially because of the widespread areas that it has affected.

Just as in previous natural disasters, including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Japan's non-combat military Self-Defence Force is playing a major role in the rescue operations and it is receiving lots of praise so far.

But there are concerns that these storms are getting stronger in recent years and more preparations may be needed in the future.

The hardest-hit areas have been Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures. Japan's Meteorological Agency had put both regions on its highest level of alert.

Saori Mori, who lives close to the Tone River in the town of Abiko, told the BBC that "the water is right up to the top of the banks now".

"We have been told to pack and prepare to evacuate as soon as we are told to," Ms Mori said, adding that she and her family were "getting ready for a fast exit".

Television footage from Joso in Ibaraki showed people clinging to the rooftops before helicopter rescue teams winched them to safety.

Entire homes and cars were carried away on the torrent as the Kinugawa River burst its banks after two days of heavy rainfall. The flood waters reached as far as 8km (5 miles) from the breach.

In Tochigi, more than 500mm (19 inches) of rain fell in 24 hours in places, double the amount that normally falls there throughout the whole of September, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

Parts of central Tochigi have seen almost 600mm of rain since Monday evening, breaking records.

Many other areas of eastern and north-eastern Japan have also been issued weather warnings, including Fukushima prefecture, home to the still-damaged nuclear plant hit in 2011's earthquake and tsunami.

The downpour overwhelmed the site's drainage pumps, a spokesman for operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) said. Huge volumes of water, used to cool the plant's crippled reactors, are being stored at the site.

Landslides and flooding

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 15 people had been injured across Japan. Two were elderly women seriously injured after being knocked over by strong winds.

The BBC's Mariko Oi says seven people are missing in Joso and one in Tochigi prefecture, and the authorities fear that number will rise.

She said officials confirmed 265 people had been rescued, but at least 100 remain in need of help as rescue efforts are hindered by the night time.

Some areas have had power cuts and transport was disrupted, with many air and train services cancelled or delayed. Some roads were also closed.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the authorities were doing their best.

"The government will stand united and do its best to deal with the disaster... by putting its highest priority on people's lives," he told reporters.

Last month, powerful Typhoon Goni hit Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, killing at least one person and injuring 70 others.