6 killed in massive pileup in north China due to heavy smog

At least six people were killed and four others injured today in a 33-vehicle pileup at a highway in north China due to poor visibility caused by heavy smog, a day when Beijing enforced the first-ever red alert for pollution.
The multiple collisions occurred on a highway in Shanxi province on the Wangcunqiao section of the highway linking Taiyuan City and Changzhi City.
Six people have died and another four have been injured in the 33-vehicle pileup.
Local government blamed the accident on smoggy conditions, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Shanxi's meteorological bureau warned yesterday afternoon that visibility would be reduced to as low as 500 meters in the province.

North and eastern parts of China have been shrouded by heavy smog this week and Beijing has issued a red alert for heavily polluted smog yesterday which was expected to last till Thursday.
Beijing's 5.5 million private cars were today kept off the roads, as the capital city enforced its first-ever red alert for pollution as air in the city of over 22 million people turned "hazardous" and schools and construction sites remained shut.