Delhi's air turns hazardous again, government issues health alerts

Jewel SAMAD / AFP

The air quality in the Indian national capital plummeted to the "severe" category after remaining in the "very poor" level for the past seven days.

On Tuesday, the air quality index in New Delhi crossed 400, prompting the government to issue health warnings for the 12th time in two months.

Officials have been warned against stepping out of their homes and exposing themselves to the toxic environment. 

In November, schools in the city were forced to shut down for four days after the index climbed past 500.

More from International

  • Strong earthquake strikes central Peru

    An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 hit central Peru on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, although authorities reported no immediate casualties or damage.

  • Overloaded boat capsizes in Nigeria, at least 40 bodies recovered

    At least 40 bodies, mostly of children, have been recovered after an overloaded boat capsized in Nigeria's northwest Sokoto state, local officials and residents said on Thursday.

  • Bangladesh elects ruling party veteran Alamgir as president

    Bangladeshi lawmakers elected veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the country's new president on Thursday, making the longtime opposition figure the head of state after his party came to power in a major political transition.

  • Russian strikes kill 16 in Ukraine's Kyiv

    Russian strikes have killed 16 people and injured more than 40 in Kyiv and the surrounding region on Thursday as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a failure by Ukraine's allies to replenish its stock of air defence missiles was costing lives.

  • Prince Harry and Meghan to move back to Britain

    Prince Harry and his wife Meghan plan to move back to Britain this month, six years after they stepped down from their royal duties and relocated to the US, a source close to the couple said.