China grounds flights as thick smog continues to choke

BEIJING: Severe smog continued to choke northern China for the fourth day today, forcing authorities to cancel hundreds of flights and halt road and rail transport with pollution levels exceeding the most hazardous mark in several cities including the capital.

The smog descended over Beijing and 40 other cities on October 17 and continued to get worse despite red alerts imposing odd-even rule for vehicles, stoppage of construction, closure of polluting factories and schools.

While 23 cities including Beijing continued to maintain red alert on the fourth day today, other cities maintained orange alerts, which is the second highest to cope up with the pollution.


Yesterday, the PM 2.5 reading in many cities in northern China, mainly in Hebei and Henan, exceeded 500 micrograms per cubic meter, which is the most hazardous.

In Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei, the reading exceeded 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter on the weekend and is forecast to clear by Thursday.

Over 20 cities have issued red alerts.

On Monday, the fine particulatematter PM 2.5, a major pollutant touched in many cities in northern China, mainly in Hebei and Henan, exceeded 500 micrograms per cubic meter, crossing the highest levels of hazardous pollution.

In Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei, the reading exceeded 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.

Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan province, ordered all primary schools to cancel classes for the next two days. Liaoning province saw its most severe smog in seven years, with poor visibility closing 18 expressways.

Tianjin airport suspended services from Sunday evening till yesterday noon.

Yesterday, 29 flights had been delayed and 350 cancelled.

All expressways in the municipality were closed.

Extra public transportation was laid on as cars are running on odd-even plate restrictions until midnight Thursday.

Tianjin Municipal Education Bureau issued an emergency notice on last night, ordering schools and kindergartens to suspend classes in the following two days.

Beijing also increased its public transport and implemented the same odd-even number plate rule.

Reports yesterday said hundreds of people are fleeing to south from Beijing to escape pollution.

The Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau has introduced a spate of pollution reduction measures, including vehicle restrictions, to help cut PM 2.5 pollutant emissions by over 20 per cent.