Sarajevo - The first of three levels of alert on dangerous air pollution was declared in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, the Ministry of Environmental Planning of Sarajevo Canton confirmed Wednesday. The alert was declared after the city has been immersed in heavy fog for more than five days, with the concentration of sulphur and carbon in the air increasingly constantly.
Martin Tajs of the Meteorological Institute in Sarajevo said the city's geographic position - in a valley surrounded by mountains - helps increase fog and pollution in the city.
The concentration of sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide in the air, he said, was 500 micrograms per cubic metre of air, with the dangerous gases expected to increase until the coming weekend when wind is expected to clear the air in the Sarajevo valley.
Medical officials in Sarajevo urged people not to spend too much time outdoors, with particular warnings issued to those suffering from respiratory or heart diseases.
Due to heavy fog in the city and very poor visibility reaching some 10 metres only, the Sarajevo International Airport has been closed for traffic since Sunday and all flights were cancelled.
The number of traffic accidents in the Sarajevo Canton has also significantly increased due to bad visibility.
A similar situation was also registered in the cities of Tuzla and Banja Luka.
