A new research claimed that air pollution could be the cause of one in every three deaths in China.

In a report published in China's media, a recent study in 74 cities analyzed some 3.3 million deaths recorded in 2013 and found that 31.8 percent of them could be linked to the deadly smog that has been enveloping the country.

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The study, which was conducted by scientists at China's Nanjing University, found that the air is most toxic in the cities of Baoding, Shijiazhuang, and Handan.

Each of the cities reported more than 30,000 deaths in 2013 that could be traced to pollution. And the situation has not improved since.

According to researchers, this could make the everyday living of some parts of the country as deadly as smoking cigarettes. 

Last Friday, China's government issued a "red alert" in Beijing due to a blanket of thick smog shrouding the capital city and a large swath in northern China. The smog affected more than half a billion people.

Pollution levels reached about 500 PM2.5 particles per cubic meter. The so-called airpocalypse has led to tens of thousands of people fleeing to the southern parts of the country, where the air is believed to be cleaner.

Local hospitals have also been crowded with patients suffering from respiratory ailments. The entire highways have been shut down, with hundreds of flights getting grounded. And classes have been postponed.

Tagschina, China Air Pollution, Beijing Air Pollution