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Hanoi declared world's most polluted city

04 January 2025 00:42 (UTC +04:00)

Vietnam's capital Hanoi has been covered in thick smog over recent weeks, putting it at the top of a list of the world's most polluted cities, as the government said it would push for more electric vehicles (EVs) to alleviate the problem, APA reports citing Reuters.

Levels of hazardous small particles, known as PM2.5, were measured at 266 micrograms per cubic metre in Hanoi early on Friday, the highest reading among a list of most-polluted cities, according to AirVisual, which provides independent global air pollution information via a phone app.

"At first I thought it was foggy ... but later I found out that it is actually fine dusts that reduce my vision and make me feel like it is not healthy to breathe," said 21-year-old student Nguyen Ninh Huong. Speaking at a meeting with the transport ministry on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha called for an accelerated transition to electric vehicles (EVs) as part of the efforts to reduce pollution, state media reported.