Smog chokes Beijing
2013-02-17 12:24
Beijing - Heavy smog again shrouded Beijing and neighbouring provinces on Sunday, disrupting airline flights and halting highway traffic, officials said.
Visibility fell to 5-10m at Capital International Airport, the Beijing Environmental Protection Monitoring Centre said.
Stretches of expressways linking to Kaifeng, Harbin, Shanghai and Tianjin were temporarily closed, authorities of the Beijing municipal traffic administration said.
The provinces of Tianjin, Hebei and Henan were also affected by heavy smog on Sunday.
Smog traditionally worsens in winter with rising heating demand. Coal fuels the country's rapid industrialisation, with lax environmental law enforcement and escalating car ownership exacerbating air quality problems.
Sales of Japanese air purifiers and smog masks reportedly skyrocketed in January after local media broke a decade-long taboo by reporting more openly on the city's record-breaking pollution.
The air-quality monitor operated by the US embassy in Beijing recorded an "unhealthy" level.
- SAPA
