哈尔滨出现重度雾霾 学校停课机场关闭

Choking clouds of pollution have virtually shut down the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin, forcing schools to suspend classes, snarling traffic and closing the airport.

Weather officials said Monday that concentrations of tiny airborne particles considered the most harmful to health were about 40 times higher than safe levels set by the World Health Organization.

The official Xinhua news agency blamed the emergency on the first day of the heating being turned on in the city for winter.

Pollution from rapid development and heavy coal use plagues wide areas of China, prompting pledges from the country's leadership to make improvement. The government has promised for years to tackle the pollution problem, but has made little progress.

Officials said Monday the heavy smog is expected to continue for 24 hours.中国东北城市哈尔滨空气污染极其严重，学校被迫停课，机场关闭，并造成交通堵塞。

气象预报部门官员星期一说，空气中对人体危害最大的微粒含量超过世界卫生组织设定的安全标准大约40倍。

中国官方的新华社说，星期一是哈尔滨启动冬季取暖的第一天，因此出现这一紧急状况。

经济高速发展以及大量使用煤在中国广大地区造成严重污染，迫使中国领导层不得不承诺加以改进。多年来，中国政府一直保证要努力解决污染问题，但成效甚微。

中国官员星期一说，预计重度雾霾将持续24小时。