Smog has brought the northern Chinese city of Harbin (哈爾濱) to a standstill, forcing the closure of schools and highways and disrupting flights all throughout Monday.

The recorded density of airborne particles was several times above the World Health Organisation's recommended limits.

Visibility was reduced to below 50 metres in parts of the city.

Cars and buildings were barely visible in the smog that shrouded the city. Residents donned masks before venturing outside.

Local media attributed the recent upsurge in pollution to the city's public heating system which was switched on for the winter on October 20th.

All of Heilongjiang (黑龍江) province's highways, and Harbin's Taiping (太平) International Airport were forced to close.

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