Pakistani province declares health emergency due to smog and locks down two cities

Associated Press

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities have declared a health emergency in the country’s east due to smog. Smog has choked Punjab for weeks, sickening nearly 2 million people and shrouding vast swathes of the province in a toxic haze. On Friday a government minister announced measures to combat the growing crisis. They include cancelling time off for medical staff, shuttering all education institutions, and shutting down the cities of Lahore and Multan. Average air quality index readings in parts of Lahore, a city of 11 million, exceeded 600 on Friday. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous to health.