Heavy smog closes schools, airport in northeast China

Schoolchildren were home, planes were
grounded and some highways were closed because of
heavy smog in one of northeast China's most heavily
populated areas Monday.
The smog was thick enough that visibility was less than
50 meters (164 feet) in downtown Harbin, the capital
of Heilongjiang province, and it prompted authorities to
close Harbin's Taiping International Airport, the state-
run Xinhua news agency reported.
All primary and middle schools in Harbin also were
closed Monday for the smog, which began a day
earlier, according to Xinhua. Some public buses did not
run Monday in Harbin, so many people -- because they
walked or sought other means of transportation -- were
late to work, the news outlet reported.
Video from China's state-run CCTV showed some
people -- obscured by smog even just steps away --
wearing masks over their mouths as they walked in the
province. Some drivers who braved the roads flashed
hazard lights.
The smog is forecast to continue into Tuesday, Xinhua
reported.