A thick brown haze which has covered nine big cities – including the capital, Tehran – in Iran for the past 10 days is being blamed for thousands of deaths.

According to reports, Tehran enjoys less than 100 healthy days a year. Iran’s health ministry has reported a rise in respiratory and heart diseases, as well as an increase in a variety of cancers that it says are related to pollution.

Each year, the 5.5 million vehicles in the city pump an estimated five million tonnes of CO2 and other poisonous gases into the air.

Iranian women wearing masks in Tehran (file photo) Iranians have been taking preventive measures against the smog

Some experts believe that domestically-produced petrol suffers from low quality and it has fanned the flames of air pollution.

via BBC News – Iran pollution worsens as thousands die.