Tuesday, December 20, Chinese capital is enveloped by a shroud of toxic smog. Millions of citizens were faced with the adverse effects of air pollution.

Beijing and much of industrial northern China are in the midst of a "red alert," the highest level in China's four-tiered pollution warning system. Road works were suspended; older and “dirty” high-emissions vehicles were forbidden from taking to the roads; and heavily polluting industries such as steel plants were ordered to halt or slow their operations.

Owing to smog, primary schools and kindergartens across Beijing and some other cities had been told to close. State media reported that 181 flights have been canceled at Beijing Capital International Airport.

Among the canceled flights there are both local and foreign air carriers' ones, including two flights of Russian S7 Airlines.

The departure of the AirBridgeCargo cargo flight was also delayed. Sections of Beijing's sixth ring road were shut down in a bid to keep cars off the roads.

Authorities are trying to quickly remove smoke. China has long faced some of the worst air pollution in the world, blamed on its reliance of coal for energy and factory production.