Smoke-filled skies become growing concern in Laos

Smoke from trash burning in a village outside the Lao Unesco heritage site of Luang Prabang, Laos joins the heavy haze over much of inland Southeast Asia due to crop and waste burning. - AP

VIENTIANE: Air pollution has become a growing concern in Laos after the concentration of PM 2.5 reached harmful levels, as smoke from seasonal agricultural burning filled the skies.

The concentration of fine dust, known as PM 2.5, which is particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, surpasses the safety level, according to a report from the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Tuesday (April 30).