China: smog canceled hundreds of flights and closed routes

The smog in Beijing is so thick that you cannot even see buildings in the immediate vicinity. Going out into the street, residents put on various masks.

The smog forced Chinese authorities on Sunday to cancel hundreds of flights at airports in Beijing and Tianjin, as well as to close some highways, which will seriously complicate the movement of travelers during the New Year celebrations.

Due to poor visibility, 126 flights have been canceled at Beijing's main airport and over 300 in Tianjin nearby. Bus services between the capital and neighboring cities have also been suspended, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

In Beijing, the concentration of airborne substances known as PM2.5 was more than 50 times higher than recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). These particles are extremely harmful to health.

A total of 24 cities in northern China have declared a "red alert", the highest severity of smog. This means the imposition of restrictions on traffic and the closure of some factories.

Most of the coal and metallurgical industries are concentrated in the north of China. In addition, hundreds of millions of tons of coal are consumed during heating in winter.

After three decades of dynamic economic development, Chinese cities have become some of the most polluted in the world. Despite tightening emission standards, investment in renewable energy, coal-based energy still accounts for 60 percent of the country.

Environmental pollution in China is thought to cause hundreds of thousands of premature deaths every year.