China Starts 2017 Engulfed by Smog, Issues Pollution Alerts
Beijing and other cities across northern and central China are shrouded in thick smog, prompting authorities to delay dozens of flights and close highways.
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau on Monday extended an "orange alert" for heavy air pollution for three more days. Beijing's smog had initially been forecast to lift by Monday.
The "orange alert" is the third level, preceding a "red alert," in China's four-tiered warning system. On Sunday, 25 cities in China issued "red alerts" for smog, which triggers orders to close factories, schools and construction sites.
China has long faced some of the worst air pollution in the world, blamed on its reliance of coal for energy and factory production, as well as a surplus of older, less efficient cars on its roads.
Source: Associated Press
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