Schools shut for fourth day in Tehran due air pollution
December 19, 2017 - Iran shut schools in the capital Tehran and some other major cities for the fourth consecutive day due to high levels of air pollution.
The Ministry of Education said on Tuesday schools would remain closed on Wednesday in the capital which has a population of 14 million and more than 8 million cars and motorbikes.
Schools in the northwestern cities of Tabriz and Orumiah and the central city of Isfahan also have been closed because of the high pollution level, IRNA said on Tuesday.
To reduce the pollution, Iranian authorities announced on Monday that cars were only allowed on the roads on alternate days, depending on their number plates. Mines and cement factories have been closed in Tehran Province.
Residents shared on social media pictures of Tehran covered with a blanket of smog.
The capital has been experiencing an alarming level of air pollution since Sunday but despite reduced traffic, it has remained high in the city, which sprawls at the foot of the Middle East’s highest mountains.
Iran’s Health Ministry has called on the elderly, children, and people with heart problems to stay at home. A growing number of people with severe breathing difficulties have been hospitalized.