Sandstorm hits Lanzhou city, causes reduced visibility, air pollution

A sandstorm hit China’s Lanzhou city on Tuesday, severely impacting both visibility and the air quality in the area. Buildings, streets, bridges and subway entrances were covered in thick smog as citizens went about their day wearing masks. According to media reports quoting China’s National Environmental Monitoring Centre, the air quality index hit 500 or over in Lanzhou, Xining and other cities, representing ’hazardous’ health conditions.