China issues second-highest air pollution alert in Beijing

China has raised the air pollution alert level to its second-highest for the capital city of Beijing, calling on residents to stay indoors.

Authorities issued an “orange level” alert in Beijing on Sunday after pollution readings reached 17 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization.

The declaration of the orange level will mandate air polluting factories and industrial plants to reduce or shut down production. It also bans heavy-duty trucks from the capital’s roads.

According to the air pollution monitor that is operated by the US Embassy in Beijing, the intensity of the poisonous, tiny particles known as PM2.5 reached over 400 micrograms per cubic meter in some of areas. This is while the World Health Organization considers 25 micrograms per cubic meter as a safe level.