'Hazardous' smog shrouds Beijing

A thick blanket of smog hit Beijing on Sunday, recalling the pollution that plagued the city and surrounding regions for 21 days in January, South China Morning Post reported. Officials temporarily closed highways and air traffic was disrupted, causing travel chaos for people returning to the city after the lunar new year holiday. On February 17, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau issued a “yellow” fog alert, meaning visibility in eastern and southern parts of the city would be less than 500 meters over the following three hours. From Saturday night, moderate to severe air pollution was reported, with high levels of health-threatening PM2.5 pollutants.