BANGKOK: Air pollution in the Thai capital forced the closure of more than 350 schools on Friday (Jan 24), city authorities said, the highest number in five years. Bangkok officials announced free public transport for a week in a bid to reduce traffic in a city notorious for noxious exhaust fumes.

Air pollution has led to the closure of over 350 schools in Bangkok, as the city ranked seventh in the world for pollution. Levels of harmful PM2.5 pollutants were significantly above WHO guidelines.

Thai authorities on Friday closed over 350 schools in the capital Bangkok due to air pollution, according to local media. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has ordered the closure of all of its 352 schools and holding online classes due to the city’s poor air quality, the media outlet Khaosod English reported.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration urged people to work from home for the rest of the week if they can, with air pollution forecast to worsen after already forcing the temporary closure of more than a dozen schools.