Updated on
Summary
Dense clouds of acrid smoke from peat and forest fires choked Russia's capital on Saturday, seeping into homes and offices, diverting planes and prompting exhausted Muscovites to wear surgical masks to filter the foul air. Air pollution surged to five times normal levels in the city of 10.5 million, the highest sustained contamination since Russia's worst heatwave in over a century began a month ago. Tourists walked through smog-covered Red Square, many covering their faces with handkerchiefs, others wearing face masks. Officials urged Muscovites to stay indoors because of the dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and fine particles in the air. Weather forecasts said the smoke, which has reached even underground metro stations, would persist until Monday.
