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IN PHOTOS: 'Orange' blanket engulfs China

February 25, 2014 17:44 IST
A woman walks past the china Central Television (CCTV) building amid heavy smog in Beijing on Tuesday. China has sent teams of investigators to parts of the country worst hit by air pollution as part of efforts to stop the heavy smog engulfing about 15 percent of the country, including Beijing.

Beijingers are once again choking as smog levels hit "heavy or even worse" levels in the Chinese capital and a number of other cities across the country, CNN reported on Tuesday.

The city was under an "orange" smog alert on Monday, which marks the first time the second-highest warning level of a new system introduced last year has been raised.

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IN PHOTOS: 'Orange' blanket engulfs China

February 25, 2014 17:44 IST
Cars drive on the second ring road amid the heavy haze in Beijing on Tuesday.

Persistent problems with city air have prompted officials and entrepreneurs to consider ways to protect their citizenry from the pollution, the report stated.

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IN PHOTOS: 'Orange' blanket engulfs China

February 25, 2014 17:44 IST
A man wearing a mask makes his way amid heavy smog in Beijing.

The National Meteorological Centre on Tuesday continued the “orange” smog alert for another 24 hours.

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IN PHOTOS: 'Orange' blanket engulfs China

February 25, 2014 17:44 IST
A man is silhouetted against the haze sky as he walks underneath an overpass and a car uses a light in the daytime amid the heavy haze in Beijing.

Officials at the Ministry of Environmental Protection cited "unfavorable meteorological conditions and firework and firecracker spree(s)" as the cause of the heavily polluted air. China's Lunar New Year celebrations, which took place earlier this month, are often accompanied by firework displays, and neighbourhoods resound with the sound of firecrackers, the report added.

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IN PHOTOS: 'Orange' blanket engulfs China

February 25, 2014 17:44 IST
A woman wearing a mask rides an electric bicycle along a street on a hazy afternoon in Beijing on Monday.

The air pollution index recorded levels of over 400, referring to the number of PM2.5 -- harmful particulates measuring 2.5 microns or larger -- per cubic meter of air.

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IN PHOTOS: 'Orange' blanket engulfs China

February 25, 2014 17:44 IST
A woman covers her nose and mouth with her scarf amid the heavy haze in Beijing on Monday

The World Health Organisation recommends guideline values of 25 PM2.5 in a 24-hour period, the report pointed out.

The smog is expected to ease towards the end of the week.

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February 25, 2014 17:44 IST

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