Haze causes flight delays, stranding passengers in Harbin

World Today

Haze blanketed northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province on Thursday morning, causing flight delays and leaving more than 3,000 passengers stranded at airports.

Some 55 flights at the Taiping International Airport in the capital city of Harbin were delayed by the dense haze. Flights resumed at noon as the haze dispersed.

Straw burning in farmlands throughout the province was blamed for causing the haze.

Despite a government regulation issued in September specifying regions where straw burning is forbidden, aerial shots of the city of Suihua on Wednesday showed farmers were still burning straw, raising dense smoke.