Smog Closes Schools and Airport in China
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Guang Niu/Getty Images(HARBIN, China) — Smog has forced the northern Chinese town of Harbin into a standstill, with schools closed and the airport shutdown due to poor visibility.
“You can’t see your own fingers in front of you,” according to the city’s official news site. The government is urging people to stay indoors, as hospitals report a 30 percent increase in patients admitted with respiratory problems.
The density of airborne particles was several times above World Health Organisation recommended limits, according to the BBC. Some neighborhoods are posting PM2.5 readings as high as 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter. The readings signify the particular matter measuring 2.5 microns in diameter and posing significant harm to health.
In recent days, air quality has been poor but worsened Sunday when the government turned on the coal-powered municipal heating system for winter. Harbin is one of China’s coldest cities, located near the border of Russia.
Officials attribute lack of wind, the star of the municipal heating systems and the burning of corn leaves and stalks on local farms for the pollution.
The government is dispatching emergency teams to inspect factories and vehicle emissions, as well as to stop farmers from burning corn waste.
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