Air pollution levels soar in Moscow By Catherine Belton in Moscow and Isabel Gorst in Nizhny Novgorod Published: August 6 2010 22:30 | Last updated: August 6 2010 22:30Choking smog from forest and peat bog fires raging around Moscow sent air pollution levels to five times normal levels in the Russian capital on Friday, causing embassies and businesses to send home workers and hundreds of flights to be grounded.A dense cloud of acrid smoke hung over the city and hid the onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral from view from just the other side of Moscow’s Red Square. Pharmacies ran out of surgical masks as anxious Muscovites sought ways to filter the air – with many even wearing them indoors as smoke seeped into offices and the subway.EDITOR’S CHOICEWildfires highlight dysfunctional Russia - Aug-06Fire ‘beast’ roams Russian forests - Aug-05Russia appeals for help to fight wildfires - Aug-03One international accountancy firm handed out oxygen to its workers, while cafes and restaurants closed as pollution reached the highest levels since the country’s worst heatwave in more than a century began. The Canadian embassy closed and the German and Dutch embassies sent some staff home.More than 160,000 Russian firefighters are battling to put out more than 500 deadly forest and peat fires still blazing across the drought-stricken European part of Russia. At least 52 people have been killed in the disaster so far.The emergency ministry on Friday said in a statement that it was starting to win the battle against the flames. But NASA satellite images showed a 3000km-long cloud of smoke still covering a huge swathe of European Russia...........http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5ccb78c6-a184-11df-9656-00144feabdc0.html