Nepal's schools close as air pollution hits alarming levels

Nepal has ordered schools to close for four days after air pollution climbed to hazardous levels, forcing millions of students to stay home across the country. Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the world’s biggest polluters. Air pollution is a chronic problem in the rapidly growing capital city of Kathmandu and an additional headache for the government that is struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Officials at Nepal’s only international airport in Kathmandu said poor visibility, which was down to 1,000 metres on Monday, widely disrupted flights.<br/>