Metro, 16 Nov. 2016- A thick cloud of smog has descended over the Iranian capital and apparently led to the death of hundreds of citizens.
Tehran authorities reported 412 people had died in the last 23 days, according to state owned news agency Irna, from respiratory illnesses linked to the high levels of pollution.
This led officials to order schools to be shut on Wednesday.

 
An Iranian traffic policeman wearing face mask – Picture: AFP/Getty Images

 
Schools have been clsoed – Picture: AFP/Getty Images

Lung penetrating particles called PM2.5 have reached a record concentration in the smog of more than 150.
These particles have been linked to illnesses such as heart disease and lung cancer.
‘I can’t breathe in Tehran, simple as that. Everyone is fleeing Tehran … everyone is choking, look at cancer rates. Who can live [in Tehran] under these circumstances?,’ Dariush Mehrjui, a filmmaker, told Isna.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already ranked another city in Iran, Zabol, as the most polluted in the world in terms of PM2.5.
Air pollution contributes to the deaths of an estimated 45,000 people a year in Iran, according to the head of Tehran municipality environment agency.