Environment emergency imposed in Chile's Santiago area

Chilean authorities declared an environmental emergency for the Santiago metropolitan region this week, forcing more than 900 industries to temporarily shut down and about 40 percent of the capital's 1.7 million cars off the roads. The Environment Ministry said they were facing unusual conditions, with one of the driest Junes in over 40 years. The emergency, the first since 1999, will be in place for

24 hours and can be extended further if authorities deem conditions have not improved. Santiago residents, blame the government for allowing companies to operate pollution-emitting facilities in the city.