Heavy smog suffocated northeast China for a fifth day on Tuesday, with hundreds of flights cancelled and road and rail transport grinding to a halt under the low visibility conditions. More than 20 cities have entered a state of red alert since Friday evening, implementing emergency measures aimed at cutting emissions and protecting public health from the toxic miasma. Across the region, construction sites closed and authorities reduced the number of vehicles allowed on the roads in the hope of reducing the thick haze. In Shijiazhuang, the capital of northern Hebei province, planes could not take off or land, according to a post on a verified social media account of the city’s international airport. Levels of PM 2.5 — microscopic particles harmful to human health — climbed to 844 in the area, according to the web site aqicn.org. The number is almost 34 times the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) recommended maximum exposure level of 25 over a 24-hour period. On the previous day, t...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.