Diwali in Delhi: A colourful night turns smoggy grey

Diwali celebrations in the Indian capital Delhi have seen air pollution rise to hazardous levels after many firecrackers were set off.

Residents awoke from a night of colourful fireworks to find the city covered in a thick grey blanket of smog and authorities warned that pollution levels were critically high.

People burn firecrackers during the Diwali festival celebrations near New Delhi, India, 30 October 2016EPA

Diwali, the most important Hindu festival in India, celebrates the victory of good over evil

Indians play with firecrackers during Diwali festival in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016.AP

Fire crackers are an integral part of celebrations and are set off in vast quantities

Traffic moves on a road enveloped by smoke and smog, on the morning following Diwali festival in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016AP

Campaigns asking people to reduce their use of fire crackers have drawn little to no response

A man rides a scooter on a road enveloped by smoke and smog, on the morning following Diwali festival in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016AP

On Monday, Delhi was enveloped in a thick blanket of smog

Indian commuters make their way through smog in New Delhi on October 31, 2016, the day after the Diwali festival.AFP

Levels of particulate matter in the air hazardous to health rose to nearly 10 times the safe limit of 100

A street vendor pushes his cart on a road enveloped by smoke and smog, on the morning following Diwali festival in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016.AP

Angry Indians shared pictures of smog-filled roads as they drove to work

More on this story