Smog likely to linger until Saturday

Vehicle, industrial emissions blamed in Beijing, Tianjin and two provinces

Beijing, Tianjin and cities in Hebei and Henan provinces are covered by heavy air pollution that started on Monday and was forecast to last through Saturday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Monday.

Beijing issued an orange alert on Monday afternoon, the second-highest level in the four-tiered emergency response against air pollution, which requires some plants to suspend production. Beijing did not disclose when the alert will be lifted.