Air pollution in the Iranian capital, Tehran, has reached an alarming level, prompting authorities to shut down all schools, the Secretary of Tehran’s Air Pollution Emergency Committee Nasser Mehrdadi said, adding that schools in all but three cities of Tehran province will be closed on Wednesday.
Choking levels of air pollution had already led to the closure of kindergartens and primary schools over the past three days, IRNA reports.
High level of air pollution in Tehran has claimed lives of 412 citizens in the October 22 to November 13 period.
The megacity of Tehran, with an estimated population of 14 million people, is shrouded in a thick grey blanket of smog, causing low visibility.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday showed a "red status" warning indicating that the air is unhealthy.
Heavy congestion and cold weather normally cause brown-white smog in Tehran in autumn and winter days each year. Many blame the quality of gasoline and substandard cars for the poor air quality in the sprawling city.
