Beijing and other areas of eastern China are experiencing the worst smog in the history of the country with conditions making it hazardous for people to be outside!
The smog is caused by the excessive pollution and is so bad that a raging factory fire burned for three hours before anyone noticed the smoke! The sale of face masks is eight times higher than last year and hospitals are reporting more and more people coming in with respiratory problems.
With an ever growing industry including thousands of new cars and coal-powered fire stations it’s no surprise that the pollution is as bad as it is. However, luckily the the government is taking notice and are monitoring pollution levels, shutting down polluting factories temporarily and taking cars off the road.
Check out these incredible photos of the terrifying smog:
(First photo by the Associated Press; last three photos by Aly Song)