Record-high air pollution in Pakistan’s Punjab province prompted authorities to keep government employees at home and close additional schools, as doctors reported an increase in people seeking treatm

Record-high air pollution in Pakistan's cultural capital of Lahore is sending more people to hospitals and private clinics, doctors said Wednesday as authorities warned a complete lockdown could be imminent if residents fail to don face masks and follow other guidance related to smog.

The authorities in Lahore, home to 13 million people and the country’s second-biggest city, have told half the work force to stay home.

In the Punjab region of Pakistan, record-high air pollution levels triggered hospitalizations and school closures, as cities remain shrouded in a thick, toxic smog.