NEW DELHI (AP) — Thick smog blanketed India’s capital on Tuesday, a day after millions celebrated the Hindu festival of Diwali with fireworks that sent air pollution levels soaring to hazardous levels across the city.
Revelers in New Delhi burst firecrackers late into Monday night, filling the air with smoke and fine particles that mixed with seasonal pollution and stagnant weather conditions. By Tuesday morning, the city’s Air Quality Index had climbed above 350 in several neighborhoods, a level considered “severe” and dangerous to breathe, according to the World Health Organization’s daily recommended maximum exposure.
Visibility also dropped in some parts of the city as a gray haze enveloped streets, high-rises and historical monuments.