Beijing’s ‘smog refugees’ flee the capital for cleaner air down south
Flights south to inland, coastal areas almost fully booked after year’s first red alert for air pollution
Legions of Beijing residents are fleeing the capital and heading south in search of cleaner air as the year’s worst smog lays siege to the city.
This year’s first red alert for air pollution was issued in at least 23 northern cities, including Beijing, on Thursday, with choking smog forecast to blanket much of the north until Wednesday.
The red alert – the highest warning level in the four-tier system – triggers limits on the use of cars as well as school and factory closures.
Beijing’s air quality index in the capital was at “very unhealthy” levels for much of the day but conditions were worse in neighbouring Hebei province.
In Shijiazhuang, levels of PM2.5 – fine particles that are hazardous to human health – soared to more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre, according to Xinhua. A World Health Organisation guideline recommends an annual average of no more than 10 micrograms.