Severe, dense smog forces schools, workplaces to close in Philippine capital, affecting millions
- Mayors from 16 cities and one town in metropolitan Manila sent millions of students home due to the smog, government offices suspended work
- Initially blamed on Taal Volcano, which affected nearly 400,000 people during its last major eruption, the smog was later attributed to traffic fumes
Heavy smog in the Philippine capital on Friday forced authorities to suspend classes at all levels in the sprawling metropolis, government agencies said.
Mayors from 16 cities and one town in metropolitan Manila sent millions of students home due to the smog, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
Some government offices also suspended work, while a number of cities ordered schools and work cancelled until Saturday, the authority said.
Authorities also urged people to stay indoors or wear masks.
The smog affecting metropolitan Manila was due to pollution from heavy vehicular traffic, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.
The smog was initially blamed on emissions from Taal Volcano, just south of Manila, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology also refuted the observation.
