DUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Schools, universities and
government offices will be closed in Iran's capital Tehran on
Tuesday and Wednesday because of high air pollution, the state
news agency reported on Monday.
Tehran's governor Morteza Tamadon said hospitals and banks
would remain open, however, but told residents to avoid
unnecessary travel, IRNA news agency reported.
Levels of pollution caused mainly by vehicle fumes have
risen in the past few days in Tehran and some other big cities.
The problem is worst in the capital because of its location
wedged between two mountains where polluted air becomes trapped.
IRNA said schools and universities in Arak, main city of the
western Markazi province, had been closed on Monday and would
remain shut on Tuesday.
Authorities in Tehran often order the closure of schools and
government offices in autumn, when the air is stiller and high
pollution levels cause health problems.
(Reporting by Zahra Hosseinian; Editing by Pravin Char)