RED ALERT

Chinese Flee Toxic Smog ‘Airpocalypse’

Flights out canceled, as tens of thousands try to leave Beijing.

Tens of thousands of people are fleeing China’s smog-stricken north after its latest “airpocalypse” began last Friday. Though many have fled the toxic fumes, parts of the country are still under the pollution “red alert,” with nearly 460 million people forced to breathe in the heavy fog and hazardous pollution. Residents and activists have posted photos on social media of themselves wearing industrial-grade dust masks. Some who tried to flee weren’t able to because of airport closures and flight cancellations. Beijing’s Nanyuan airport halted all flights Tuesday, and its Beijing Capital international airport canceled nearly 300. Yang Xinglin, 27, said she requested time off from her job so she could avoid inhaling the smog and fumes. “You ask me why I left Beijing?” she asked. “It’s because I want to live.”