Lahore air pollution hits historic high, forcing school closures

Student rides a bicycle to school amid dense smog in Lahore, Pakistan November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza/File Photo

KARACHI (Reuters) - Unprecedented air pollution levels in Pakistan's second-largest city of Lahore prompted authorities to take emergency measures on Sunday, including issuing work-from-home mandates and closing primary schools.

The city held the top spot on a real-time list of the world's most polluted cities on Sunday after recording its highest ever pollution reading of 1900 near the Pakistan-India border on Saturday, based on data released by the provincial government and Swiss group IQAir.