Smog disrupts traffic in NE China
Xinhua, November 12, 2015 Adjust font size:
Lingering smog has disrupted traffic in northeast China's Liaoning Province, closing highways and delaying trains.
The provincial meteorological disaster warning center issued a yellow alert for smog, saying that 11 cities would suffer moderate smog on Thursday morning, while the provincial meteorological bureau issued an orange alert for fog after visibility was reduced to as little as 200 meters in several cities in Liaoning in the morning.
China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
On Thursday, a dozen expressways in the province were closed temporarily. To ensure safety, some bullet trains in the area were delayed as they were ordered to run at a slow speed.
The smog arrived in Liaoning in early November, roughly the same time as coal-fired heating systems were turned on in north China.
The Liaoning provincial environmental protection department has begun inspections checking emissions from enterprises and factories across the province.
As of Thursday, production in 65 enterprises had been suspended while 53 enterprises involved in illegal emission discharge cases had been punished, according to the department.
Air conditions in Liaoning have improved slightly in recent days. The number of cities classed as suffering from severe air pollution has reduced from 11 on Sunday to four on Thursday. Endi