Schools to remain closed in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala Friday due to smog

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday announced closure of schools in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala owing to dense smog.

According to a notification, November 22 has been declared a holiday at all the public and private schools.

“In the wake of dense smog, the public and private schools operating within territorial limits of the above said districts will remain closed on 22nd November 2019,” read the notification put out by the Punjab School Education Department.

Earlier this morning, a thick blanket of smog covered large swathes of Punjab, including Lahore, forcing diversion of three flights to Islamabad.

According to officials at Allama Iqbal International Airport, flight number QR 628 from Doha to Lahore was diverted to Islamabad airport due to poor visibility caused by intense smog.

The flights from Damam and Urumqi were also diverted towards Islamabad from Lahore for the same reason.

Moreover, flight number PK 650 from Islamabad to Lahore was stopped from taking off, while flight number SV 735 from Jeddah to Lahore also facing delay due to visibility problem caused by smog.

The visibility range at the motorway from Lahore to Sheikhupura had also reached to 100 metres as fog engulfed the area in the morning.

A spokesperson of the Motorway Police advised people to avoid unnecessary travel due to poor visibility, which could become dangerous for the commuters.