Pro-Beijing politician calls smog a ‘mirage’ on day with highest pollution levels for city

Chan Hok-fung posted a selfie onto his Facebook page with the caption “mirage”. Photo via Facebook.
Chan Hok-fung posted a selfie onto his Facebook page with the caption “mirage”. Photo via Facebook.

Pro-establishment district councillor Chan Hok-fung was today hounded online after posting a selfie on his personal Facebook account describing the thickly shrouded ICC tower in the background as a “mirage”.

The veil partially concealing Hong Kong’s tallest tower, netizens were quick to point out, was less an optical illusion and more thick smog, which descended today as the city experienced alarming levels of air pollution.

We are not quite sure if Chan was joking or whether he was being serious. Either way,  he got a less smiley reaction from people seemingly less amused by poor air quality than himself.

Comments left on Chan’s selfie included: “Are you for real?”, “You think this is funny? Why don’t you guys do something to improve air pollution?”, and “it’s called pollution mate, guess where it comes from”.

Chan later posted in the comments section of the photo saying “got it”, alongside a link to a hk01 explaining today’s smog.

The selfie was posted around the same time the Environmental Protection Department recorded higher than normal pollution levels this morning.

At about 11am today, the Air Quality Health Index at a roadside station reached level 10, corresponding to the “very high” health risk category.

As of 4:00pm today, two areas — Central and Tuen Mun — recorded a “very high” health risk level of 10. Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Tung Chung and Mong Kok recorded a “serious” health risk level of at least 10.

Screenshot via EPD.

Children, the elderly, and those with heart or respiratory illnesses were advised to avoid physical outdoor activities in areas where the health risk category is “very high” or above.

Those who do outdoor work or heavy manual labour were advised to assess the risk of outdoor work in areas where the health risk is “very high” or “serious”.

According to aqicn.org — a website that monitors air quality index in real time — there was a “very unhealthy” AQI level of 220 for Kwai Chung, and “unhealthy” AQI levels of 186 for Mong Kok, 191 for Central, and 193 for Tung Chung as of 4:00pm.



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