Hazardous smog levels engulf Beijing and northern China: children and elderly warned to stay indoors
Capital's air-quality index, including hazardous PM2.5 particles hits 457 - deemed 'serious' - and danger set to continue until Wednesday
Residents in Beijing and neighbouring cities, particularly the elderly and children, have been warned to stay indoors because of hazardous levels of air pollution, mainland media reports.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection said heavy smog - including high levels of PM2.5 - the finest pollutant particles that can cause the greatest harm to public health - had developed on Friday and would continue until at least Tuesday across the capital and also heavily populated areas including the city of Tianjin , Hebei province, the western part of Shanxi province and the north of Henan province. However, conditions were expected to improve on Wednesday, the ministry said.
The smog was brought on by a combination of heavy pollution and adverse weather conditions, Xinhua reported.
Beijing's office for severe air-pollution emergency response issued a yellow alert, the second lowest level, at 2pm on Friday, and said the alert would remain in force until at least this morning, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Yesterday's air-quality index (AQI) reading in Beijing reached 457 in the southwest of the city, and more than 400 in several other parts of the capital.
China's AQI standard regards a reading of between 201 and 300 as "heavy pollution", and more than 300 as "serious".